The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
by Kichino Sarafu
Summary: Yaoi. Peter PanxOC. When William Dash finds a strange boy in Kensington Gardens, he's whisked off to Neverland where me meets fairies, the Lost Boys, Indians, mermaids, and a pirate captain with a fetish for young boys. Will he stay or go home?
1. Finding Neverland

**_Book I_**

**I. Finding Neverland**

"WILLIAM STEWART DASH! YOU GET YOUR ARSE BACK IN THIS HOUSE OR I'LL…!"

"You'll what?" I snapped back at my cranky mother, her wild red hair flopping about her sweating face.

Not bothering to find out what the rest of her sentence would be, I pulled my jacket closer to me, and stormed down the quiet street of Rochester Lane. It was the middle of the day, so people were either working or at school. Why am I not in school? I'm doing what they call "skipping," children; try asking your parents what that means if they aren't too anal to answer you.

It wasn't particularly that cold for this late spring day, I was just always cold. My father hypothesized that it was because I had thin blood, so my body didn't get the necessary amount of heat. And during the winter I might have a little cigarette to warm up my "thin" blood.

The City of Westminster wasn't a bad place to live in. In all of this Great Britain, it was foretold as one of the most picturesque suburbs a silly little Brit could live in. Trees smothered the moist landscape, and most of the buildings were historical with elegant architecture from the medieval period. And not only this, it also beheld Kensington Gardens, a wonderful park full of trees where a troubled teenager such as myself could find some solitude.

I went to my usual place that took a great deal of climbing through some dense wood until you reached a small little clearing. I'm sure that a lot of people have been to my Secret Spot in this crowded park, but it still helped me to feel that the world's condescending eyes were no longer focused on me.

It was on that day, the 12th of May, after lying on the dirt for some odd hours, when I flickered my eyes open and stared into two of the most beautiful jade gems I had ever seen. They swam in a milky sea of ivory and were framed by silky brown curtains. I blinked again, but this time I only saw two emerald eyes watching me curiously from a stupidly grinning face. I screamed.

"WAHHH! Woah! Wha..?" I shouted unintelligible noise as I scrambled backwards to get a better view of my spectator.

"Are you alright?" he asked me, his voice like the wind whistling through the trees. It was so soothing that my heart slowed its' frantic racing to a rate below the heart attack level.

I finally got a good look at my curious new friend and, boy, was there a lot to look at! He was very tall, and had a thin built, but his arms were round with well-developed muscles. Auburn hair framed his boyish face. He looked no older than me, but there was something about his manner that made me think he was much older than me. But that wasn't what made this boy so…queer, for lack of a better term. He sported a worn, sun-faded green tunic that was torn along the sleeves and hem. It looked to be a little to small for him, so it hugged his muscles tightly. What was more astonishing was the fact that he wore green tights. Luckily his too small tunic was long enough to cover his groin so I couldn't see any other unnecessary bulges. Even his tights were torn at the ends so that they came short below his knees. His feet were bare and dirty. He looked like he had just survived a plane crash on a deserted island.

"He's a silly one, Tink," the boy said over his shoulder with a little chuckle.

I can't believe I never noticed it before. A little golden glow danced around the boy's head, sparkles falling from its' path and twinkling out.

'Oh, I get it!' I thought to myself. 'I'm dreaming. I must have been playing Legend of Zelda for too long last night. Though this is a very normal looking Link, and he called Navi Tink.'

"I think I'll just go back to sleep," I told myself, flopping down on the ground again, head propped up against my hands, "maybe then I'll wake up."

"Well, yes, eventually, you will wake up," the boy replied simply, even though the statement wasn't directed at him. "It happens every time. I don't think I've ever once met someone who didn't wake up after going to sleep."

I glared at him. Okay, freak, you can go now. I'm obviously tired.

Because my eyes were closed, I couldn't see where the sudden jingling of a bell came from.

"No, Tink, we can't just leave him here," the boy said. "He looks sick! I mean, look at those black rings around his eyes! I bet Curly might know what to do with him, or maybe Tiger Lily. Her tribe knows all sorts of herbal medicines!"

It's called mascara, you dumbass.

Another jingle.

"What do you mean this will be just like last time? I haven't taken anyone home with me since Jane!"

Jingle.

"It's not like he's going to stay there. It'll just be until he gets better, and then I'll send him back home, I promise."

A small jingle.

"Thanks, Tink! Now, let's wake him up and he'll fly home with us."

Oh great. Kidnappers. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to pretend to sleep in front of this weirdo. I opened my eyes and propped myself up on my elbows.

"Sprinkle him, Tink!" the boy said with a mischievous glint in his eye, or maybe that was the little ball of light. Speaking of, said ball of light was flying around my head like some annoying gnat, and dripping sparkles all over my head.

"Ah! Hey, what are you…? Ah...Ah-choo!" I sneezed and sparkles flew out like cannon fire.

The boy laughed, and his face was so beautiful (Now don't get me wrong, I'm not gay, or anything. I can compliment a fellow male, can't I?), that I didn't resist when he grabbed my hand. "Ok, off we go!" He leapt into the air, still holding onto my hand, but was cut short.

"Ugh!" he sighed, floating in midair, but still holding onto my hand. "Your thoughts are so depressing and heavy. Think light, happy thoughts, or else you'll never get off the ground."

I was too busy staring in awe at the boy floating in midair that I didn't think rationally. My only thought was, 'I can fly in this dream? Sweet!' I hadn't had a dream about flying in quite a while, and each time, it was such an exhilarating feeling. Well, the feeling must have been really exhilarating, because the boy grinned foolishly at me. I was floating with him, dripping sparkles, like he was.

"Come on!" he nearly squealed with happiness, and shot into the air, nearly ripping my arm out of my socket along with him.

I don't know if anyone saw us flying into the clouds, after all, it was only eight in the evening, and I'm sure people were still out and about and looking up at the sky at the wrong moment. But at the moment, none of that seemed to matter. There is nothing more awe-inspiring in this small world, than watching the clouds fall beneath your feet, feeling your heart soar along side you with happiness. Maybe that boy's grin was contagious, because I found myself smiling broadly. This made the strange boy very happy and he pulled me along faster.

Suddenly, the clouds parted to reveal a starry night sky, and a small, green island in the middle of a never ending ocean. I had never seen so many stars in my life.

The boy pulled me closer, since we were still holding hands, and whispered into my ear, which made my heart jump. "This is Neverland, my friend. A place where children like you and I never have to grow up. Where we can do whatever we want without any stingy adults bossing us around." My god, it's paradise!

He withdrew his lips, along with his warm breath, and cold air rushing past my sensitive ear made me shiver. But I didn't have enough time to think about how wrong this should feel, because we suddenly plummeted downward in a spiraling dive. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but it was lost in the other boy's thrilled whooping. As we neared the island, we pulled up a bit, so as not to come down too fast, and slowed our descent, until we were like a feather floating in the breeze. We landed on a rocky cliff on the sea shore. The moon and the little glow ball were the only source of light in the dark night, and they illuminated the boy's green eyes so that they almost glowed themselves.

"This is Skull Rock Cove," he said to me in a jittery excitement. "The mermaids live here. They're really pretty, but they like to play tricks on people."

"That's nice," I said, not really paying attention to what he was saying. "I would like to know who you are, rather."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that!" he bowed, but not mockingly. "I'm Peter Pan, leader of the Lost Boys, and this here is Tinker Bell; she's a fairy. It's her fairy dust that helps you to fly!"

"Yeah, I figured," I muttered, surprised at my amount of calm. Well, if it was a dream, I might as well go along with it.

The little glow came closer to me so that it was right next to my nose. I found out that Tink wasn't just a glow, but a tiny little person with a little green dress similar to Peter Pan's tunic, and thin, insect-like wings that fluttered behind her. She however, had the decency to wear shoes, and they had a little white puff ball at the top of each foot. She opened her cute little mouth and began shouting at me angrily, but all I could here were little jingles.

"Hey, Tink, don't be rude!" Peter pulled her back towards him by her wings. "He's a guest here! And since he's a guest, I should show him to our base, so he can get some rest. Come with me…uh…what's your name?"

"Dash. William Dash." I had always wanted to say that. "But you can call me Will. I don't like my full name."

"Alright, Will," Peter grabbed my hand and pulled me along as he guided me inwards. "Just follow me!"

I did follow him through the dense jungle, until my feet ached and my knees felt like they were about to collapse, and we reached an opening in the thick trees. I came upon a series of tree houses, and a door in the trunk of a giant tree. Peter led me through the door and into a small little room. There were stairs to the right leading both up and down. There was a small makeshift bed with a patchwork quilt and a nightstand made from a very poor craftsmen with a little glowing mushroom to serve as a lamp.

"You can sleep here," Peter led me to the bed. "In the morning, I'll show you around our hideout. I'll sleep downstairs."

He waved to me in a giddy manner before leaping down the full flight of stairs and into the darkness. Tink followed him loyally, but not without a particularly nasty glare towards me. Well, here comes the end of the dream.

I lay down on the bed of leaves and feathers carefully, afraid that this poorly crafted bed frame might break. Needless to say, I woke up with back problems the next morning.

* * *


	2. The Lost Boys

**A/N: **Alright, Chapter 2 already out! The story starts to pick up in this one. I'm already working on Chapter 3, so it won't be long. Enjoy! Oh, and R&R! (That stands for Read and Review, children.)

WARNINGS: yaoi, boy/boy pairing. If this offends you, then don't read it. Mild cussing.

Disclaimer: The original storyline and characters go to J.M. Barrie.

**II. The Lost Boys**

I woke up to find six chubby, little faces peeping back at me. I screamed and scrambled backwards wildly to hit a wooden wall. I had a strange sense of déjà vu.

"She's awake!" said a little chestnut colored boy in a raccoon suit said to an identical little boy in another suit.

"Is she sick?" asked a plump one in a bear costume.

"Reckon she's a phantom with those dark rings under her eyes?" a tall, blonde haired one in a florid fox costume proposed.

"Are you our new mommy?" a little toddler with raven hair in a skunk suit asked me.

I was too flabbergasted to answer, but a voice like the wind whistling through the trees answered for me. "No, he can't be your mommy, guys. Guys can't be mommies."

I looked up to see a bright, smiling face blocking the sunlight that poured in through a doorway. The first thing I noticed about this boy was that his emerald eyes had a dancing glint in them, even in the shade. His cheeks were flushed, though from exercise or excitement, I didn't know. Oh great. A morning person. Then I fully woke up and remembered everything.

"So it wasn't a dream?" I sighed, dazed.

"If you're talking about us, then no!" Peter Pan chuckled, and plopped down on the makeshift bed next to me, which made me flush for some reason.

"Who are all these kids?" I asked, looking at the little children. They couldn't be older than ten.

"Oh! Introductions!" Peter jumped up to his feet, pulling me by the arm outside, for it was far too cramped inside that hollowed-out tree.

The sunlight blinded me momentarily. I grumbled a bit at having to get up, but my discomfort was forgotten when I looked around at the breathtaking scenery. Everywhere were weeping willows and oak trees, and many others. They're branches hugging the little clearing. I looked up to find little bridges and planks going across from one tree house to another. The sun, although bright, twinkled through the leaves to through a merry glow on the small forest.

"Lost Boys, at attention!" Peter called out.

My gaze was snapped back to my hosts, which were currently standing at attention in a line in order of smallest to tallest, with Peter standing before them, hands on his hips, feet spread apart in a commanding way. "Round off!"

"Slightly! My skills are slingshot and finding secret passageways!" shouted the fox-boy like a soldier at boot camp.

"Curly! I can find the tastierests foods and eat 'em fast, too!" shouted the bear-boy, but in as loud a voice as Slightly.

"We're the Twins!" said the two raccoons simultaneously. One had his tongue sticking out stupidly. "We specialize in tag-teaming and throwing rocks!"

"Nibs, thir! I thpecialize in gatherin' firewood an Thlightly thays, I hath a lithp!" said a short, scraggly one in a too-big bunny costume.

"Tootles! I see pretty good and Peter calls me clumsy, sometimes," giggled a little skunk-boy. I didn't see what was so funny.

"And I'm Peter Pan!" exclaimed said boy as he jumped into pose, his nose high. "And this is Tinker Bell!" the little fairy, whom I had forgotten until now, stuck her tongue out at me, and swirled around Peter's head a couple of times.

"We've met," I drawled. Well, aside from their grammar, the — Lost Boys, was it? — didn't sound all that bad.

"Now, you've got to meet Tiger Lily!" Peter was practically bouncing up and down like a little kid. Well, I suppose he still is a kid. "We'll see what she can do about those eyes of yours."

"Wait!" I said hurriedly. "This isn't —!"

My voice was cut off as he pulled me by the arm with so much strength that I lunged forward and nearly tripped, but he pulled me up with his strength as well. He ran, dragging me along, and his gang followed him. The trees rushed past us until they became a green blur drawn out. I struggled to keep up, and I tripped a lot (it's hard to run in tight jeans), but each time, Peter pulled me along, supporting my weight with a single arm.

Suddenly, the blur sharpened into a grassy plain, and I tumbled forward from the sudden halt, but Peter pulled me back by the arm, so I flung backwards against his chest. Disoriented, I looked up into his sparkling green eyes. "We're here! At the Indian's village!"

It took a while for the noises he made to form words into my head, because I was enthralled by his emerald orbs. Note to self: Never look Peter in the eye. He is a hypnotist.

As the words formed sentences, I jumped out of Peter's arms, with the help of Tinker Bell, pulling me by my overgrown hair. Now, I finally got a good look at my surroundings. We were standing in a small lake of grass; the breeze was light and dancing. Teepees dotted the landscape like trees in forest, mismatched and unorganized. They were brightly painted with geometric designs and pictures of nature. People dressed in buckskins and furs milled about, doing their business. A few looked up at the sight of the boys. Their faces were as tanned as their clothes. And they were all girls no older than thirteen.

One little girl with black braids, and four feathers sticking out of the back of her head band strolled up to us. She had three red triangles each on her cheeks, and smiled widely at Peter and then looked at me with her black eyes, and then back to Peter.

"Will, this is Tiger Lily, chief of the Indian tribe!" Peter said, gesturing towards the small girl. She looked about ten or so.

"The tribe ith full of girlth!" bunny-boy piped in.

"Thanks, Nibs, I noticed," I rolled my eyes.

Tinker Bell dashed about between Tiger Lily and Peter angrily, her fairy dust splashing everywhere, and bells clanged.

"Hey, stop that, Tink!" Peter Pan shooed her away like a fly. "Don't be rude to Tiger Lily."

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Peter," Tiger Lily bashed her eyes, smiling giddily, hands clasped behind her, grinding a hole softly into the dirt with her toe. "We should play together again sometime."

Oh joy. A love triangle.

"Maybe we can do that today, Tiger Lily, but I need you to look at my friend, Will, first. He seems to be sick." Peter didn't seem to notice the young girl's advances.

Tiger Lily shot her beady eyes at me. She examined me closely and then stopped on my eyes. "Oh dear! He looks like a phantom!"

This shit was seriously getting old. "Ok, everyone stop this and listen to me!" I threw my hands into the air and stood apart from everyone. "I'm not sick, and I'm not a ghost! You see, this is just mascara!" I wiped a bit of the black crud off of my face, and it smeared slightly. "It's like face paint. I'm perfectly alright!"

Everyone stared at me in silence. And then all at once, they all heaved a big, "Oh!"

"Hey, that gives me an idea as to what game we can play!" Peter jutted in with his mischievous smile. "Hide-And-Go-Seek!"

"Oh, that's a marvelous idea!" Tiger Lily clapped her hands animatedly.

The Lost Boys whooped their approval, and Tinker Bell had an unhappy pout.

"And Will can be 'it'!" Peter pointed at me.

"What?" I gasped. "I don't know this place! I'll get lost!"

"Don't be silly! We're already lost!" Peter laughed.

I glared at him.

"Here, if it'll make you feel any better, you can have Tink, here, as a guide!"

The little fairy instantly protested, sounding like someone dropped a bunch of spoons on a tile floor. Tiger Lily agreed ardently, most likely thinking it the best chance to get close to Peter. After all, I don't think I've ever seen him without Tinker Bell, in the few hours that I've been here.

"Oh, don't be a poor sport, Tink! Do it for me! Please! Will's a novice, and you're an expert at this game!"

Tinker Bell, who was standing in mid air with her arms crossed defiantly, blushed in her glowing essence, and shot a glance at Peter's puppy eyes. She slumped her shoulders in defeat, and floated over towards me.

"Alright, now, Will, close your eyes and count to twenty!" said Peter.

"Oh, come on, do I really have to?" I whined. I'd rather just follow you around.

"It'll be time for you to have fun with Tink! Come on, Will!"

"Yeah, come on, Will!" Curly cooed.

"Yeah!"

"Come on, Will!"

"Fine," I gave in, with a depressed sigh. "If it'll make you stop giving me those puppy eyes."

"Yay!" the boys all jumped together in victory.

"Now cover your eyes," Peter put my hand over my eyes. "And count to twenty. Slowly."

"You guys are such wankers…One…Two…"

I could hear their excited giggles and scrambling, and the scuffing of Tiger Lily's moccasins on the waxy grass. Tinker Bell flitted around my head in impatience, her jingling annoying me.

"Nineteen…Twenty! Ready or not, here I don't come," I grumbled, taking my hands off of my face and looking at an empty field. I didn't even know where to start.

Tinker Bell flew in front of me, gesturing towards the forest. She tugged on the sleeve of my jacket, trying to move me. Oh yeah, that was right. Tinker Bell didn't cover her eyes, so she was which way the boys went. "Lead the way, Tink!"

I followed the little golden glow deep into the forest. It seemed like Tink picked the densest foliage to walk through, but I supposed that it made sense if I was trying to find a hiding person. Soon, I found myself next to a mossy pond. The canopy of the trees was so thick that it felt more like night time than the late morning. I knelt down next to the pond, and looked at my reflection in the dark waters.

My black hair (it used to be a strawberry red, like my mother's, but I died it a dark black in the 6th grade. Bright red was just never my color) fell in front of my face, flattened out of its curliness to match the current fashion. My eyes were a light hazel, almost yellow, and the black around my eyes only made them brighter, even though one eye was now smeared. I didn't think I was good looking. After all, girls aren't into the thin, short, button-nosed, weak, artsy type. I resembled a girl more than most of my female friends, but that wasn't saying much. I suppose the only un-girly quality about me was that I didn't make a big fuss over everything. Unlike Tinker Bell.

I snorted. "Ya know, Tink," I said, as I stood up. "I may not be able to understand you, but…Tink?" I looked around. The area was dark, and crowded with brush and foliage. No little glowing fairy. "Tink? Tinker Bell? Where are you?" I called out shyly, suddenly afraid of my own voice. I was answered with silence.

Tch. I've been ditched. "Fine, I didn't want to hang out with you, anyway," I muttered spitefully to myself, and kneeled down next to the pond again. It's not like I was lonely or anything. After all, I was used to being alone.

"Well, as long as I'm here, I met as well wash the mascara off." I cupped my hands and dipped them into the water and splashed my face, taking care not to get any in my eyes or accidentally swallow it. I scrubbed my face and used my, luckily, black shirt to dry my face. "Ah, now my face is all red…" I trailed off as I saw something similar to a face reflecting in the water. Before I could decipher what was going on, burly arms grabbed me and a burlap sack was thrown over my head.


	3. Captain Hook

**A/N: **I promised chapter three, and here it is! Now, we meet the second most important person in the whole book! Enjoy!

WARNINGS: male/male pairing. If you are a homophobe, then don't read this. You may have nightmares.

Disclaimer: Original storyline and characters go to J.M. Barrie.

**III. Captain Hook**

I didn't struggle very much as my hands were tied behind me in a very unpleasant manner, and I was prodded in the back. Because of the bag over my head, I couldn't see anything. My captors, whoever they were, forced me to walk to where ever we were going. It was when I heard the splash of the sea, and the clank of my foot on wood, that I gathered I had been placed onto a ship of sorts. I could hear footsteps and chatter.

"Oh, Smee, you got one!" a deep voice to my left applauded.

"Why do make that sound so astonishing, Starkey?" came a scratchy voice next to me. "Besides, I had Witty and Paul with me."

I was pushed along, down some stairs and then stopped. One of my captors knocked on a door, from the sound of it. We were admitted in, and I stumbled over the doorway, and fell to my knees, but a hand on my head stopped me from falling completely on my face. The bag over my head was removed and the first thing I noticed was a pair of white knees. I looked down to find the rest of the leg, in black leather shoes, with a dull silver buckle on them. I traced the rest of the white stockings up to a sitting figure. A man with long, curly black hair, as dark as night, and a leather pirate hat crowning his head, looked down on me from his well-shaved face. He was middle-aged, tall, in a mahogany velvet suit, with a frilly white smock underneath. He wore matching pantaloons that reached the top of his knee. On his right hand, with which he held up my chin, was a gleaming metal hook. His eyes were as dark as his hair, but looked incredibly sad.

He turned my face to the left, and then to the right, examining me critically, as though I was fresh produce to be bought. "I don't believe I've ever seen this one before." His voice was silky and deep, like a smooth jazz singer. "From his attire, he doesn't look to be from around here, which must mean he is from the other world, which makes him all the more valuable. This is the first time Peter has ever brought a boy here. Well, only a boy."

Since I was facing the dark-haired middle-aged man dressed in mahogany, I could not see the man who spoke now, but I assumed it was "Smee." "Captain Hook, sir, do you want us to tie him to the main mast?"

"That will not be necessary, Smee," Captain Hook said suavely. "The boy is clearly tied up, and I'd like to have a nice, little chat with him in my personal quarters before that pig-headed hooligan finds his way here. You are dismissed."

"Aye-Aye, Cap'n!" three voices declared and then exited.

I snorted.

"Is something amusing, boy?"

"Sorry. I've never met real pirates before. I didn't know they were this…cliché."

Captain Hook raised a thin, plucked eyebrow. "Well, I'll assure you that pirates are as dangerous as they are rumored. Now, I'm sure you're quite uncomfortable on the floor —"

"— and tied up —"

"—so why don't you sit in this chair." He pulled a wooden chair over by his hook, so that it faced him. "And you'll remain tied up. You're still a hostage."

"Oh, bugger," I chuckled and sat in the chair, arms tied to my sides. I looked around the room. It was cluttered with all sorts of things: a desk with quills, a map, and compass, and ink; there was a globe, a coat rack, a harpsichord, some books, stacks of paper, some bottles, both empty and full, a case, a jewelry box, a mirror, a bed up against the wall, a wardrobe, a basin, another table, another chair at that table, a candelabra, missing two candles, bent and broken pewter ware, among many other things. Two lanterns hung on the wall, but they were unlit, since sunlight poured in through the two portholes on either side of the room. "So…" my eyes eventually rolled back to the pirate captain, who had been watching me intently the whole time, which made me blush with chagrin. "Are you called Hook because of…" I glanced down at the hook.

"No," he snorted. "I got the nickname before that Peter Pan cut off my right hand in a duel." He gritted his teeth at these words.

Peter cut off this guy's hand? I didn't know he had it in him. He always acted so innocent and puppy-like. "So then how?"

"I killed my quartermaster with a hook," Captain Hook smiled proudly at his reflection in his hook.

"Wicked," I whistled.

"Yes, and I don't plan to do the deed again, well, not by hook, anyway," he grinned maliciously.

"So…will you kill me? I mean, after Peter Pan comes, if he does. You see, we were playing Hide-And-Go-Seek, and I was 'it', but I don't know this island very well (I've only been here for one night), so he sent Tinker Bell with me, but she ditched me, and well…here I am. I know I'm a hostage, so you'll need me alive for now, but will you kill me after you've killed him? I'd like to know, so I can start regretting my sad, pathetic life now." Bollocks! I always rambled when I was afraid.

A smile, not a smirk, spread across Captain Hook's face. "You have quite a handsome face." His claw stroked my cheek. "It'd be a shame to toss you into the sea. And you seem to be an intelligent young lad. I think I might keep you as a pet. You could join my crew."

"Sorry, but as you can see, I'm not really good with manual labor," I shrugged sheepishly.

"Maybe there is a certain kind of labor you _can _perform."

I cocked my head to the side curiously. What did he mean? Like a secretary or something?

"Why don't we get to know each other a bit more, boy," Captain Hook leaned back in his chair luxuriously. "First off, what is your name?"

"William Stewart Dash," I said automatically. I don't know why I was so trusting of this man. I mean, after all, it was clearly stated that I was a hostage, and I was tied up, but this man seemed so aristocratic and high-class. Such a feat as killing a harmless boy seemed so ungentlemanly for him. "Stewart is my father's name. I, frankly, hate it. It sounds so humble. And I hate my name. Girls are always trying to call me 'Willy' and Mum always calls me 'William'. I hate it! It makes me sound like some mother's boy."

"I gather you dislike your parents?"

"Well, yes. I know they mean well, but they can be so overbearing and controlling sometimes! Every word that comes out of their mouth is a command! They never say 'Oh, hi there, my one and only son. Nice weather we're having lately.' Or 'Do you want to go to the market with me? I'll get you some tangerines!' No! It's always 'Do this' and 'Do that.' I feel as though I'm their slave, not their son! And no one else at school understands either! Their parents love them! They always go out together and do stuff! But because my family is poor, both my parents have to work, and so we never do anything together, and when my parents come home in the evening, they just yell at me, and tell me how to live my life!"

I stopped because my eyes were burning, and my throat was sore. What was wrong with me? I had just spilled my heart out to some stranger, who would either kill me or enslave me, and now I'm about to cry? Man, I really was a sissy boy. But there was just something about this man's…fatherly-like figure that made me want to open my heart to him.

Captain Hook didn't say anything. His smile was gone, but his eyes weren't as sad. They almost looked hopeful. He nodded his head solemnly, and I was reminded of a therapist. Oh great. Now he was going to think I was just some whiney kid.

But no condescending reprimand came. "I was the illegitimate son of a lord. I was raised by an actress and was sent of to Eton College, so I could be out of the way. No one wanted me. Even the one man I loved kept turning me away." Captain Hook gazed dreamily at the wall behind me.

I froze, repeating the last sentence in my mind. "'…the one man I loved…', '…the one _man_ I loved…'" Maybe I had more than my life to fear for. Captain Hook is gay!

Loud noises outside interrupted our conversation, and Captain Hook stood up. "What the devil is going on? Is Peter Pan already here?"

I looked outside the porthole. It was dark. When had the sun set?

Captain Hook cracked the door open a little, and the sounds of battle reached us. "It's time." He stood up, grabbed me by the arm, and dragged me up the stairs. It was utter chaos up on deck. The Lost Boys were running around, throwing things at scraggly pirate men. It heard a jingle, and saw Tinker Bell zipping through the air, and then shooting straight upward, causing the two pirates who were chasing her to slam into each other. Tootles, poor thing, was being carried by his tail by a tall, lanky man, with a single golden hoop earring. Luckily, Curly kicked his shin, so he dropped the little skunk-boy and they ran off together. I couldn't find Peter.

"Enough!" Captain Hook bellowed across the ship. "I have the boy here, in my hands! Unless you want him headless," he put his very sharp hook to my bare throat, "surrender! I will not harm the children; all I want is Peter Pan!"

"I'm right here, Hook!"

The voice came from up above. Everyone stopped and looked up to see Peter Pan, standing regally on one of the many masts of the ship, a cocky smirk on his face. When his eyes met mine, he smiled that goofy, puppy dog smile of his. He hadn't changed.

"Let Will go!"

"I don't think I will," Captain Hook sneered coyly. "You see, I'm quite taken with the boy, and I think I just might make him my personal slave."

"Don't you dare!" Peter growled and then leapt off the mast, diving down toward us.

My heart skipped a beat, but I saw the gold sparkles that trailed past him. Sure enough, he pulled up, just before hitting the ground, and whipped out a small sword that hung at his belt, which I hadn't seen before. Captain Hook shoved me aside, to whip out his own sword from its sheath, and thus, the battle began.

I lay on my side, like a turtle on its shell, unable to right myself. But it didn't matter since I needed to look up anyways. They were climbing up in the wood and rope workings of the ship. For Peter, it was a simple task, since he could fly, but Captain Hook had to keep his balance, which was an amazing accomplishment in those shoes.

Captain Hook's face was the epitome of rage. His lip was curled, his teeth were gnashed, his eyebrows furrowed, his nostrils flaring, and his cheeks flushed from waving and swiping and stabbing at Peter's afterimage. Peter laughed and jibed like a young boy at play, but his mischievous glint looked especially devious tonight. There was an evident malice between the two. The fight was intense, with near blows for each of them. Hook managed to scrape Peter's cheek, but in the lunge that had caused it he leapt off the side of the ship and into the water with a loud splash.

The Lost Boys gave a victorious whoop, and now I wished that I was on my feet again. The pirates ran to the edge of the boat, calling for their captain. "Quick! Someone fetch a rope!" The Twins, Curly, and Tootles came over to untie me, but they were having difficulties with the knots.

"Here, let me help you," Peter's breath was heavy, as he leaned over me, and cut my bindings with his sword.

"Um…thanks," I muttered, just barely audible enough.

Peter offered his hand, and I took it, letting him pull me up to my feet. When I heard a jingle of bells, I looked up to see Tink sprinkling me with pixie dust. "So, I guess we're flying out of here?"

"Of course," Peter chuckled. "You don't expect us to swim, do you?"

I laughed. Good thing, because I can't swim.

Feeling chipper, we leapt off of the ship and the wind caught us, lifting us into the sky. It took only a few seconds for us to reach the hideout.

"So, how did you guys know I was missing?" I asked. The question had been bugging me all day.

"It was Tink," Peter smiled proudly. "When she came over to me, I asked her why she wasn't with you, which she still hasn't answered…anyway, she led us to where she left you, and we found that you were gone. After gathering up the Lost Boys, sending Tiger Lily home, and searching for you, we dubbed that you had been kidnapped by the pirates! And sure enough, when we sent Tinker Bell to spy on them, she saw you tied up, in a chair, looking very sad. So we raided their ship! Oh, and Tink says she's sorry for leaving you."

I looked over to the silent pixie fairy, who was twiddling her thumbs nervously and not looking at me directly. How could I get mad at that?

"Thanks, Tink," I said softly. "You saved my life. Oh, and the brave Lost Boys as well."

The little boys chortled sheepishly.

"Hey, what about me?" Peter smiled hopefully, pointing to his chest.

"Yeah, I suppose you kind of lent a hand," I said mockingly, but couldn't refrain from smiling.

The Lost Boys decided that we should have a feast in honor of my safe return, and another victorious triumph over the pirates. We built a campfire that danced in the deep night, and warmed us all. I don't know where Peter got all of the food, but there was plenty for everyone to eat. We sat on dead logs in a circle laughing with each other like we had known each other all our lives.

"So," I decided to throw the question out after everyone's laughter from Nibs' joke had died down. "How long have you guys been fighting Captain Hook?"

The mood instantly died. Wow, what a party killer. Peter was the one who answered. "I don't know how long it's been since Hook first came here. No one knows how he got here. He wasn't our enemy until he did the Naughty Thing. We've been enemies ever since."

"What…" I was almost afraid to ask, "…was the Naughty Thing?"

"We all took a vow never to speak of it ever again," Peter said solemnly. The glint in his eye was not from the fire, and it was not a happy one. Captain Hook did something bad. Really bad.

"He didn't seem like the kind of guy who'd do something really bad," I wondered aloud. Well, he did kill a man, and has been trying to kill a, well, not helpless, little boy for who knows for how long, but, again, something deterred me from completely disliking the man. "When we talked, he sounded like a nice guy."

The fire crackled ominously. Everyone was staring at me as though I had just sprouted a second head. "What?"

"How can you say that about _him_?!" Slightly gaped.

"He's the enemy!" the Twins chimed.

"The ultimate evil!" Nibs exaggerated.

Peter was the only one angry enough to actually stand up out of his seat. "This was the same guy who kidnapped you! He would've killed you, if we hadn't come! Or worse, he would've kept you as his pet! How can you talk nicely of him?"

"Well, I always have been a good judge of character and…oh, I don't know! There's just something about him that's…unhateable. I'm sure if you actually had a civilized talk with the man…"

"Treason!" the Twins shouted.

I rolled my eyes at them, but shrunk in fear when I saw Peter's face. It was like his angry face when fighting with Captain Hook multiplied by ten. I didn't know this guy had enough depth in him to make such a scary face. "You're a traitor! We don't like traitors! Why don't you just go back to your stupid pirate captain, then!" He stomped off into the hollowed out tree.

"Yeah, what he said!" Curly said, nose in the air, and then followed after Peter.

"You were fraternizing with the enemy!" Slightly accused me, pointing a knobby finger at me angrily.

"Do you eve know what that means?" I countered him.

"No, but I know it's not good!" he cried indignantly, and then rushed off into the tree.

The Twins glared at me, and muttered, "Pirate-lover," derisively and then stalked off to bed.

Tootles was the only one who didn't look like he wanted to shove daggers in my back. The cute little thing only reached my knee, on which he placed a small, comforting hand. "I know you only want to be friends with everyone, Will. I don't think you're a traitor."

The tension in my shoulders relaxed. I smiled warmly at the cute little boy in the skunk outfit. "I know, Tootles. Now run off to bed. It's late." I turned him around and patted his butt. He obediently wobbled into the tree, because toddlers wobble, not walk. This must be how a mother feels.

I looked at the dark outline of the tree. Well, it wasn't like I was going to be able to sleep in there tonight. I guess I'll just have to sleep out here. Have I been pushed to the couch?

I looked around the dark and lonely clearing. The fire was dying now, so it was getting cold. I lay down on the dirt, curled up into a ball, and tried to go to sleep. It shouldn't be that hard. It wasn't my first night being alone.


	4. Pixie Hollow and Neverpeak Mountain

**A/N: **I had completely forgotten about this story until AnimeLover1002 reviewed. . I've been busy writing another story which I will hopefully put up soon.

Disclaimer: Peter Pan is owned by Disney and Barrie, so I don't claim it, alright?

WARNINGS: Shounen-ai (boyxboy)

**IV. Pixie Hollow and Neverpeak Mountain**

The grating of my empty stomach woke me from my dreams of sword fighting the football team in school. Groggily, I sat up, and walked towards the hollowed out tree. Not even bothering to knock on the shaky, wooden door, I flung it open and looked around inside. The place was empty, so I went down the stairs, which was more an arrangement of knots in the tree roots. There, I found another room, with three makeshift beds, like the one upstairs, but with different colors, and some were leaning precariously to the side. There were all sorts of trinkets and things lying around, like a statue made of sticks and rocks, some mushrooms, a green cap with a red feather in it, and many other things. But to my displeasure, food was not among them.

Crestfallen and still hungry, I traveled back outside, blinking at the bright light of the sun. I was surprised to find none other than the little skunk boy, Tootles, standing there, waiting for me. The little boy looked up at me with wide eyes and a small smile. Silently, he handed me a small, round apple.

Slightly astonished by both the boy's appearance and gesture, I awkwardly took the apple, looking at it for a while, before I murmured a small, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Tootles beamed back at me, happy with my reaction.

"You're a good kid," I sighed, before taking a bite out of the apple. It was juicy and delicious. Not too sweet, but not too sour, either. "Where is everyone?"

"They left to go play," said the baby Tootles. "But I was worried about you sleeping out here all alone, and I thought you would get hungry, so I went to go looking for something to eat, and so I brought you this apple."

"I see," I murmured, pondering bitterly on the other Lost Boys dislike of me now while I chomped down on the red fruit. What was the point of Peter whisking me away here if he was going to ignore me?

I frowned. The thought made me grimace.

When I had finished my apple, I tossed the core over my shoulder and turned to Tootles, who had been patiently waiting for me the whole time. "So…do you want to play with me, or something?"

"Yes!" Tootles cried enthusiastically with a little click of his heels. He must have been waiting for this moment the whole time. "The others don't usually like to play with me since I'm so small. What should we do first?"

"Well, are there really mermaids here?"

"I'll show you!"

I followed the little black and white tail as the boy bounced over dead logs and tree roots, guiding me through the dense foliage. It made me wonder how any of them could know where they were going. Everything looked the same to me. I swore we passed that trunk several minutes ago.

I looked down at the flustered cheeks of the little boy. He was panting heavily from running around so much.

"Hey, Tootles, do you want to ride on my shoulders?" I offered, taking pity on him. "You can point out the way for me."

The skunk boy stopped for a second and contemplated this, a finger on his chin. Then, he nodded, walking towards me.

I lifted him up easily, even with my weak little arms. With his legs locked around my head, and his hands grabbing a fistful of my hair so that he wouldn't fall out, we trekked through the jungle, until the trees died away and the ground became rocky. I found myself back at the shoreline cliff where I had landed with Peter only two nights ago. Had it really only been that long?

I set Tootles down, feeling like a weight had been taken off my shoulders…literally. He bounced up and down excitedly, pointing towards the water. "There in there!" He said excitedly. "This is Skull Rock Cove. It's called that because — you see that giant rock over there? It looks like a skull so we call it Skull Rock. The mermaids hide their treasure in it. They really like shiny things. They like to sunbathe on the rocks here, so they usually swim around the cove."

I glance over at Skull Rock, and indeed, it did resemble a skull, with a small cave that made the mouth and two little dents that served as the eyes. Because of the angle it was facing, I couldn't see what was inside, so if the treasure story was true, I wasn't sure.

"Oh, look, Will, here comes one of them!"

I turned my attention back to the water, to see a flat shaped head with stringy, sand-colored hair that floated like seaweed. Two bright yellow eyes shaded beneath lashes looked up at us. They were larger in proportion compared to the rest of the head, and reminded me of the unblinking bug-eyes of fish. With a splash, the rest of the body surfaced, and a naked woman sat on the cliff edge, her long sandy hair just covering her nipples, causing me to blush brightly. Around her hips, skin turned to scales and a long orange tail waded in the water where her legs should have been.

This was no Ariel, but it was a mermaid none the less. Even is she did have a head shaped like a football and a disproportionate body and a wide mouth. Her golden eyes settled on me, and she motioned with her finger for me to come closer.

Transfixed, I obliged, not even flinching when her boney fingers reached for my hand. She examined my fingers curiously, turning my hand different directions so that she could view it at different angles. Before I could do anything, though, she grabbed my wristwatch and dove into the water, cackling mischievously.

"Hey, you sod, give me my watch back!" I yelled after her, but the orange tail had already disappeared into the mouth of Skull Rock. "Dammit, does everyone here feel like tricking me?!"

"I told you that they liked shiny things," Tootles mumbled shyly.

"I know; I'm sorry, Tootles," I sighed, patting the boy's head. "I wasn't angry at you. So, what should we do next?"

"We should go to Neverpeak Mountain!" Tootles declared. "You can see everything from there."

"Where is this mountain?" I asked. I didn't want to hike all day. I was thirsty too.

"It's in the middle of the island. If you get up here," Tootles climbed on top of a boulder via other, more accessible rocks, "you can see it."

Following the young boy's lead, I scrambled onto the boulder, and stood up to my full height, peering over the tree tops, and indeed, I saw the top of a mountain. It looked very far away. "There's no way we're going to reach the top within the day."

"That's alright," Tootles said simply. "We can find food, easily, and anything else that we might need. It'll be a fun trip."

"I just wish Tink were here so that we could just fly over there."

"Tinker Bell is probably with Peter, but the other fairies are in Pixie Hollow, and that's right along the way! We can ask them to help us fly!"

I don't know why this surprised me. I had just always figured Tinker Bell was the only fairy, but that of course made no sense. "Does Tinker Bell ever go to Pixie Hollow? Is that her home?"

"No, not anymore," Tootles looked slightly put off, a soft frown marring his baby face. "When Tinker Bell became friends with Peter, she ignored the other fairies, and now she can't go back."

So she became an outcast, huh? She must really like Peter if she were to live the rest of the fairies just to be with him. A sudden pang in my chest caused me to frown, but I just passed it off as pity for Tinker Bell. That was the only thing it could be, right?

"I'm a little thirsty," I voiced my complaints. "Is there any fresh water around this place?"

"We can just find some!" Tootles smiled happily at me, climbing down the boulder. I just stared at him, confused. Why did he think we could just find whatever we needed?

I followed the little kid anyway, since he hadn't failed me yet. He led me back into the forest, but this time, I heard the sound of running water. No, it wasn't the crashing of the waves against the cliffs behind us. This sound was coming closer not farther away.

Then I figured out what the sound was. It was a small stream, trickling through rounded rocks and down hill. There was a little mini waterfall that fed the stream. "See, I told you we'd find water."

I just gaped at the boy. This place just kept getting weirder and weirder.

* * *

After many hours of marching uphill and through the woods, we finally reached Pixie Hollow. A more appropriate name for the place would have been Pixie Marsh, although that was not quite right either. The valley was a pool of water where a few streams fed into it. A wide spacing of trees grew up out of the water, and canopied over us, creating a mystical shade about the place, so that no light reflected off the still waters. Little pathways of dirt were raised up above the water level so that we could walk in amongst it. They were so narrow though, that we had to walk single file. Despite the dim lighting, fireflies glided about lazily, so that I had this awed feeling.

The trees were another spectacle all together. They were completely white, like snow, and almost seemed to glow on their own. They looked hollowed out, and on the occasion, I'd see a little colored glow peek out of it and fly away. That was how you could tell the fairies from the fireflies. They were all sorts of colors. The trees, Tootles pointed out, were where the fairies lived. Inside the trees, they had many levels and a huge house where they kept all their things. Most fairies had their own tree (to them it must seem like a mansion), but some were shared with another. There were plenty of trees to go around, and not that many fairies.

After a while, we came to an intersection in the pathway, and Tootles stopped, looking around for something. Apparently that something was a purple glow, because Tootles lit up when he saw it.

"Queen Clarion!" Tootles beamed.

The little fairy, indeed resembled a queen upon closer inspection. She was tall, and thin, having a noble air about her. Her dress was long and flowy and gossamer. Her white garments only seemed to melt in with her porcelain skin, and her long hair was blonde, and upon it sat a crown of white twigs, probably from one of the trees in the Hollow. The atmosphere around her was so regal, I stood up a bit straighter.

The fairy opened her mouth and the sound of rain reached my ears. It was such a pleasant sound.

"It's good to see you too, Queen Clarion!" Tootles smiled. "Peter isn't playing with us today. This is Will, a friend Peter brought home!"

When those tiny eyes turned on me, I felt suddenly flustered and embarrassed at my appearance. Why hadn't I worn something nicer that day, than my old, Dir En Grey hoodie, which was now tied around my waist, some girls jeans and a plain black shirt? I looked silly in front of her.

The splatter of rain drops.

"Yeah, Peter does bring people here a lot, but I like Will. He plays with me. But Peter and the others are mad at him for trying to be friends with Captain Hook."

At first, I was worried about Tootles telling the queen of my quarrel with the other Lost Boys. Maybe she would hate me too, for not hating the pirate captain. He was obviously Peter's enemy, and since he's friends with the fairies, then he would be her enemy too, right? But then, something else Tootles had said was bugging me. "Peter does bring people here a lot…" A pang like the one I had felt when I learned of Tinker Bells domestic problems struck my chest again. So I wasn't the only one…How many other people had Peter spirited away to this island? Had he brought any girls? I bet he charmed them just like he had —

Raindrops.

"I was wanting to show Will the top of Neverpeak Mountain, but it'll take forever to get there on foot. It's already nearing night time and we haven't even gotten to the bottom of the mountain yet! Could we get some fairy dust to fly up there and then back down?"

Raindrops.

The queen nodded, turning away to fly somewhere, and returned with a blue orb of light. This one was a boy, with a round blue hat with yellow triangles along the rim. He had on a torn canvas shirt with a blue vest over it and torn blue shorts. He had chestnut colored hair that crowned his face.

When the boy fairy opened his mouth, a clanging sound came out, like a bunch of metal rods knocking against each other. It sounded like an aluminum bell rather than the crystal bell Tink sounded like.

"Tink is doing fine, Terence," Tootles chatted away. "Her and Peter have lots of fun together!"

The blue fairy frowned at this. But said nothing of it. The Queen spoke instead.

"That's a great idea! Terence is the dust fairy after all! He'll be able to give us lots of dust."

Raindrops.

"Oh good! It'll be funner with more people!" Tootles turned to me, and I found myself addressed for the first time since coming here. "Terence is gonna come with us, Will, so that we'll have a way back home."

"That's good," I said.

"Thanks, Queen Clarion! We'll make sure to return Terence without any boo-boos on him!"

The Queen fairy laughed, a sweet sound, and then floated away. Terence followed us shyly, not saying a word. Once we had gotten out of Pixie Hollow, Terence sprinkled fairy dust all over us, and I got the same tingling sensation as I had the first time.

Smiling like an idiot, I leapt into the air, following my heart that flew on ahead of me.

"You know, Will, Tink once told me that the fairies used to be stars," Tootles chatted away, as he flapped his arms like a bird. "She said that their dust was actually star dust, and it was the star dust pulling itself towards the stars that makes us able to fly."

"Then what do happy thoughts have to do with anything?" I wondered aloud.

"That's what stars are made of, silly. They're made of happiness. That's why you can't help but smile when you look at them!"

I contemplated the likelihood of that, and found it was much more believable that stars were made of gas, than of happiness, but I wasn't about to get into a scientific debate with a little kid.

It took only a few minutes to reach to peak of Neverpeak Mountain via flying. The air was much thinner in the higher altitude, so I was breathing a lot harder than before, but otherwise, I felt no qualms about being so high up. In fact, it was the most soul-shaking thing ever.

For one thing, it was absolutely silent. There was no howling wind as I expected there to be. It was as if the world was holding its breath, taken by the scenery as well. That was another thing, the scenery. I felt like I could see everything in the world. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's what was going on. I could see the whole island now, in its deep greens. I could see Pixie Hollow, Skull Rock Cove, even the pirate's ship, which had _Jolly Roger_ inscribed on its side. I don't know how I could see this from the top of the mountain, but I could. I saw the mermaids swimming in a lagoon, I saw some crocodiles circling an area in the ocean, I saw a bird fly from its nest, I saw a baby with sandy hair being cradled in feminine arms, I saw a boy standing outside a window, looking in on the form of a baby in a cradle, a single tear rolling down his cheek, I saw a young looking Curly, in old fashioned clothes sitting in a chair, looking hungrily at a bowl of gruel.

I blinked. Wait…what? I looked back out at the empty horizon, and I saw two identical boys on a cobblestone street, huddled in the snow and looking very very…lost.

'These are…memories,' I realized. 'Their memories.'

"Do you see?" Tootles spoke into the silence, making his voice sound louder. "You can see it can't you? You can see what life was like before Neverland! Before we all came here, back when we first became Lost."

I looked at this kid and he looked much more different. Oh, he hadn't changed in appearance, but…he seemed more…unreal. Could this really just be a dream? I looked back at the horizon, and saw two pairs of emerald eyes gazing back at me.

* * *

Peter glanced up at the starry sky, but he couldn't smile. He was too worried to find happiness in the stars now. He had seen neither Tootles nor Will all day. He hadn't really cared until sunset, and then he became concerned. He didn't even really know if they were together. He wondered if the boys might actually be lost, even if one of them already was a Lost Boy. (He had never officially inducted Will into his Lost Boys clan. He was going to do it until Will had brought up the insufferable Captain Hook.)

So that's why he found himself standing on the beach, searching the darkening horizon for Tinker Bell. He had sent the fairy out to spy on the Jolly Roger, to see if Will had gone back to the pirate captain. Peter sneered at this. He was still a bit bitter at Will for not hating the evil pirate like the rest of the children on this island, but he would still rescue him. He didn't want the Naughty Thing to happen to him too.

A soft yellow glow floated into his line of vision, sneaking along the shoreline. Finally! It had felt like ages since he had last persuaded the fairy to do some more spying.

"So? Is he there, Tink?" Peter asked anxiously when said fairy had arrived.

The ringing of crystal bells filled his ears. He was slightly disappointed, but greatly relieved that Will hadn't had the audacity to go back. But still, that left him with many places to try and find the two.

Jumping up, Peter flew above the trees, scanning the foliage that rushed underneath him. Time to check in with the others to see if they found anything. Landing on a tall pine tree, he held a hand to his mouth and made a loud howling sound. He waited for a second before repeating the task.

A chorus of high-pitched howls came back to him from different areas of the forest. All of them held the same message: No.

"Squirrel dung!" Peter cursed. "Where are they?"

Tinker Bell shrugged her shoulders. She didn't really mind the Will boy being gone, but she was worried about Tootles. He was the youngest of the Lost Boys.

With a sigh of aggravation, Peter took off into the air once more, doing an aerial search for the two lost boys. He flew around in circles for what felt like forever, until something caught his eye. A waterfall next to Neverpeak Mountain that had never been there before. Someone had to have imagined it up, and that someone could easily be the two boys he was looking for.

Tucking his arms in at his sides, Peter made a swift dive, straight for the waterfall. He pulled short though, and landed just next to it into the trees. Putting his finger to his lips, he motioned for Tink to remain silent. The bright fairy nodded her head and mimicked zipping her mouth shut. Peter turned back to the noise of the waterfall and pulled back some ferns so that he could see. And what he saw left him hot and bothered.

"Man, you really can find whatever you need on this island, huh?" I mused, stripping off my clothes down to my boxers. I had voiced that after such a long walk I felt like taking a dip, and next thing I know, Tootles found a waterfall with a shallow pool. Perfect. And the water was slightly warm, so I wasn't freezing.

"If you just think about it, you can find it," Tootles said happily as he stripped off his skunk suit to the bare nude and ran into the water.

"Careful," I called out to him, walking calmly towards the energetic youngster. "There might be snakes in the water. And don't slip. The bed is made of smooth rocks. And don't go too deep, you might get swept away."

"I _know_, Will!" Tootles rolled his eyes as he playfully splashed around in the cool water.

I smiled a bittersweet smile. Was this what it felt like to have a younger sibling? I really was starting to act like these kids' mother. Well, Tootles' at least. I hadn't seen the others all day. Nor Peter.

I sighed forlornly. I missed Peter terribly now. He was the only one closest to my age, and I hadn't really gotten a chance to really talk with him yet. Taking a deep breath, I dove into the water, paddling through it, but making sure to stay in shallow water. I never learned how to tread water exactly.

Meanwhile, Peter's brain was going into overload, and his whole body felt hot suddenly, the blood rushing to his face. It wasn't like he hadn't seen another boy naked before. He had gone skinny dipping with the Lost Boys plenty of times, but this was the first time he had seen the bare skin of one of his "guests." And what skin did Will have! He was so white _he glowed_ and the water trailing down his thin frame, and his smooth stomach, and down farther still. His jaw-length black hair was plastered to him, and shone in the moonlight. Peter had the sudden urge to hold the other boy. Even just being near him felt satisfying enough.

'Why do I feel this way?' Peter wondered, trying to hide his blush from Tinker Bell, who didn't seem to notice as she was watching too. 'What is this feeling? I've never felt like this towards anyone before.'

But before Peter knew it, the two boys were getting out of the water and shaking themselves dry. It was at times like these that I wished I had a towel. But alas, there were no towels on this deserted island….wait…is that?

No. Way.

Sitting innocently on a branch of a tree not to far from where I stood was a fluffy, canary yellow towel. I hesitantly walked over to it, picked it up, examined it, then decided it was safe. I dried myself off, and when I was done, wrapped the towel around Tootles and dried him off too.

After putting our clothes back on, Tootles turned to the water and said, "Hey, Terence, it's time to go home now."

Tink snapped her head up when she heard this. Uh-uh! She had to get out of here before —

The clang of metallic bells noted that the blue fairy had noticed the glowing golden light. With a cry of delight, he dashed towards her, his arms open in an embrace.

Desperately, Tink dove out of the way, which happened to be out into the open, where she was noticed by the two grounded boys.

"Tink?"

But the female fairy had no time to answer, for she had to quickly dodge Terence's next love-attack. I simply watched with amazed amusement, as the blue orb chase after the golden orb.

"Terence has the biggest crush on Tink," Peter decided to make himself known. He climbed out of the ferns, smiling at Will. How could he not smile when the black haired boy's cheeks grew red, and he smiled slightly too?

"P-Peter!" I exclaimed, my heart skipping a few beats. "How long have you been there?" I was suddenly aware of the fact that I had yet to put my shirt on.

"I just got here," Peter lied. "We've been looking all over for you two! Where have you been? We've been so worried!"

In my head I translated "We've been so worried" to "I've been so worried," which meant "I'm not mad at you anymore," which meant, "I care about you." I felt my cheeks grow hot, and suddenly the stitches in my shirt looked _very_ interesting and they needed _close _examining.

"Will and I had tons of fun, Peter!" Tootles chimed, not noticing the awkwardness between the two. "We visited the mermaids and went to Pixie Hollow and then to Neverpeak Mountain! Will is the best mommy ever!"

"Will can't be your mommy, Tootles," Peter pointed out, but another voice in his head said that he very much well could be if he was the dad. "He's a boy."

"But if you're already the daddy, then what's he supposed to be?"

I blushed at what this insinuated. The little kid probably had no idea how much of an innuendo that was.

"He's the second daddy," Peter faltered for an answer. "You get two daddies."

"Hurray!" Tootles cheered, throwing his hands into the air in a banzai sort of way.

"I think it's time we head home now," I broke in, wanting to get this embarrassing night behind me.

"I agree," Peter said as he called the fairies over. "Let's go back home now guys." He held out his hand to me, and I took it, before Tootles grabbed my other, and then we flew back to the tree house. When we got there, we found all the other Lost Boys sleeping already. Apparently, they had abandoned their duties a long time ago.


	5. The Thimble

**A/N: **I could apologize for the late update, or I could not. Thank you for all of those who have reviewed! Reviews always inspire me to write again! I have this terrible tendency to forget about fanfictions...coughGreatestTreasurecough

So, enjoy this next plot twisted installment. The plot thickens (does it ever thin?)

WARNINGS: Some guy x guy fluff. No likey, no ready.

Disclaimer: I do not own Peter Pan, but if I went back in time and wrote it before J. M. Barrie, it would turn out to be something like this...

**V. The Thimble**

"Smee, is everything ready?" Captain Hook said idly while dragging the point of his hook gently across a rough sketch of a map he had made of Neverland. It wasn't accurate, but making an accurate map of Neverland was quite impossible, since the island was always changing to the whims of those children.

"Yes, sir!" a stout man in a dirtied striped shirt with graying hair stood at his best attention, his rosy nose sticking out ahead of him. His voice was nasally and scratchy.

"Excellent. Commence Operation Recapture William!"

* * *

Pushing back some bushes, I scanned the area, searching for the enemy. A green cap with a red feather in it that I had stolen from Peter sat comfortably upon my head. A long stick that served as my sword was held out in front of me at the ready. Motioning to my followers behind me to mimic my movements, I cautiously stepped out into the open glancing around for an ambush. Nibs, Tootles, and Curly crawled along the jungle floor, nervous sweat trickling over their skin.

After waiting for about three minutes in the clearing with no noise or sight of any movement and doing a complete 360, I relaxed slightly. They weren't here.

"HIIIIYAAAAAAA!"

The triumphant cry only gave me two seconds to react before Peter swooped down on a vine and snatched the cap off of my head, before landing on a tree branch. He adjusted it back on his head, smirking. I thought it looked great on him. He looked so much more complete with it on his chestnut hair.

"Hey, return the hat, you fiend!" Curly's yell snapped me out of my daydreaming.

"It was my hat to begin with!" Peter called back indignantly.

"But we stole it from you fair and square!"

"Yes, and I stole it back. And I'm going to capture your princess, too! Team Falcon, ATTACK!"

A high-pitched roar was all the warning we received before the two raccoon twins swung down on vines, and tackled into me and Nibs, knocking us down. A few well placed rocks (my forehead, Curly's tummy, Nibs' arm and hip) notified me of Slightly sniping from the trees.

Pushing one of the raccoon boys off of me, I barked orders to my subordinates. "Team Lion! Protect Tootles — I mean, the princess! They already have the hat, we can't let them get our princess too!"

"'Aye, 'Aye, Cap'n!" Nibs replied before dashing over towards where Tootles was running around in circles, crying in fear.

Slightly pelted Nibs with rocks, but Curly hobbled over to help him. Together, the two managed to calm Tootles down and hide him in the bushes.

"Forget about me?" said Peter Pan, leaping from his perch on the trees, stick at the ready (we had decided it was unfair for him to use his sword, since the rest of us didn't have one either).

"I could ask you the same question," I jumped in front of him, blocking his view to Tootles, my stick sword gripped tightly in my hands.

Peter smirked.

I smirked.

It was on.

The Lost Boys spread out around us, their battle temporarily halted to watch the duel between the two older boys, or in their minds "mommy and daddy". We circled each other for a while, our steps equal, and our toes always pointed towards our opponent. Peter held his stick nimbly in his left hand (the boy was ambidextrous), while I held onto mine with both hands, ready to lunge.

Peter made the first move. He headed straight for me, stick sword swinging through the air. I leapt to my right, and swung at his back, but alas, the boy was nimble and easily dodged my attack. I feigned to the left, suddenly leapt to the right, and hopped all around him, trying to confuse him by confusing myself with my movements. Peter was undeterred by my senseless bouncing around, and ran forward and smacked me across the head.

"Ow!" I couldn't help but cry. I know he was holding back, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"You're dead. I win!" Peter declared, holding his stick up in triumph.

"Darn," I pouted, rubbing my head. "You always win everything! I don't know swordplay. That's not fair!"

"Well, then maybe you should practice," Peter laughed, tossing the stick back and forth between his hands expertly. Show off.

"Well, now what do we play now that Team Lion has lost?" Slightly asked.

"We already played hide-and-seek," Peter thought aloud. "And tag, and pirates, and cowboys and Indians…I don't think any of you want to play house…"

The young boys all curled up their upper lip in disgust.

"How about Slaves?" I suggested. It was the only game I knew of aside from hide-and-seek and tag.

"What's that?" they all asked me at once, huddling around me. Even Tink, who had been flying around Peter's head the whole time, settled down on his shoulder, leaning forward in anticipation.

"Well, there are two overseers, who are supposed to catch the slaves — that's everyone else. There's the slave pen, where the overseers bring the slaves once they have captured them, and the slaves must stay in there unless a free slave comes and frees them. The overseers can't guard the slave pen, but they can hang in the general area. The game is over once all the slaves are in the slave pen, since no one is left to free them, obviously."

"Ooh! That thoundsth, like fun!" Nibs cheered, and the others agreed.

"How about Will and I are the overseers?" Peter suggested.

"But you two are the oldest. You'll find us in no time!" The twins chorused.

"That's not true!" Peter argued. "Will doesn't know the island like we do, which is why I'm here to help him! And since he knows the game, it's obvious he should be overseer."

"Oh."

"Alright, now that that's been established," I put my hands on my hips. "The Home Underground is the slave pen, alright? Peter and I will go there and count to twenty, while the rest of you go and hide. OK?"

There was a round of agreement, as we all walked back to the tree houses. The makeshift bed inside the tree on the ground level was designated as where the two overseers should count. The door closed behind me, and I stood awkwardly in front of the bed where Peter sat, wondering what to do with myself. It was dim inside with only the light of the glowing mushroom lamp. I was alone in a room with Peter…well, not completely alone. Tinker Bell made sure to remind me of this fact by talking loudly, her jingling bells meaning nothing to me, but made sense to Peter Pan.

"You're right," said boy nodded towards her. "We should start counting, right, Will?"

"Umm, yeah," I mumbled.

Peter began to count loudly, covering his eyes, although he couldn't see outside anyway. I just stood there, watching him, not really thinking, just watching. I was so out of it, in fact, that I didn't even realize Peter had finished counting until he tapped my shoulder.

"Huh? What?"

"It's time to go find the slaves," Peter said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Let's go."

We walked outside into the empty jungle. I didn't even know where to start looking. "Don't you think we should have someone stay around in the general vicinity to watch for anyone coming here?"

"You're right," Peter nodded, then turned to the fairy hovering around his head. "Why don't you hang out here, Tink? If you see anyone coming here, you can alert one of us, and we'll catch 'em!"

Tinker Bell immediately opposed and I had a similar notion. When I had made the suggestion, it was intended for me. I'd rather just walk around here, where I knew my surroundings.

"You always complained about not getting to play with the rest of us, and now I'm trying to let you, and you won't even do it? C'mon, Tink! It's not like we're splitting up for the whole game, you can come find us whenever one of the Lost Boys returns, and, when we capture them, we'll be bringing them back. Please, Tink."

Tink protruded her lower lip, looking defiant, but not even her furious pout could withstand Peter's puppy dog eyes. Her resolve gave in within five minutes, and she reluctantly flew away.

Peter turned to me with a bright smile that made me catch my breath in my throat, grabbed my hand, which didn't help my respiratory problems, and pulled me along. "Let's go find them, Will!"

My body moved mechanically, since my mind was elsewhere. I don't even know if I was actually forming clear thoughts. It was more like feeling than thinking. The warmth of Peter's hand on mine was the most prominent feeling. The warmth traveled up my arm and into my cheeks. But the feeling in my chest was what I tried to ponder on the most. My heart seemed to detach itself from my body and try to fly up into the sky. I groped the air, trying to reach for it, but there, of course, was nothing. It was the same feeling I got when I flew, just wanting to go higher and higher, never stopping my ascent. I could get addicted to this feeling. Wait, I think I already am.

"So…where do you think they would hide?" I asked after a good full ten minutes of running through what seemed like an endless jungle.

Now, if Peter were to answer this question truthfully, he would have guessed something along the lines of Skull Rock, in the Mother Tree of Pixie Hollow (though I'm sure the fairies might be a bit miffed about that), or one of the many caverns of Neverpeak Mountain, but the place he mentioned was not among these in the list of possible hiding spots. "I know of a place." That was all the warning I received before being lifted into the air.

Many bewildered thoughts passed through my head, one wondering how Peter could fly without the assistance of Tinker Bell or any other fairy dust source, but then I figured that the little golden fairy probably sprinkled enough dust on him for one lifetime just hanging around his head so much. Another was why he wasn't having such difficulty carrying me this time. I hadn't been sprinkled with fairy dust before this, so I wasn't flying along with him. He just carried me by my arm, dragging me along, his goofy grin dropping in the slightest. What was it that was different now than before? 'Your thoughts are so depressing and heavy.' Was that the difference? Was I…happy now?

But who could be depressed flying over a beautiful island, hand-in-hand, with nature's greatest creation? Not even an emo teenager like me.

Peter's "hiding spot" would've made a great hiding spot, except for the fact that he was probably the only one who could reach it. (I was quite sure that the Lost Boys didn't have the power to fly without fairy assistance.) It was invisible everywhere except from up above, like God dug a hole in the side of Neverpeak Mountain. It was filled with still water, which was so smooth it looked like a giant mirror, reflecting the fluffy white clouds and the bright blue sky. Peter dove down for it, and I suddenly found my heart as it pounded ferociously in my head.

"Peter! There's nowhere to land!" I cried out to him, quivering. Who knew how deep that pool was, and I didn't know how to swim.

Peter didn't answer, but he did pull back, slowing our descent until we were just two feathers floating down. As we got closer to the shiny surface of the water, I pulled my feet up, but Peter stepped down onto the surface, a small ripple radiating from his feet.

"Don't worry," Peter's windy breath soothed me. "You won't fall in. I promise." He still held my hand, and guided me down gently.

Sucking on the inside of my cheek, I cautiously stepped down onto the water's surface, and the only thing that happened was a few ripples that swam off and never returned. I gaped at Peter, mouthing the word "How?" because my breath had been taken away.

Peter just smiled at me, and knelt down onto the surface, looking down into the water. Or maybe I should have said up into the sky, for its reflective surface made me feel like I was still flying.

I nearly leapt out of my skin when I felt a sudden warmth on my left shoulder, and I turned to find Peter much closer than he had been a few seconds ago. My throat clenched shut, and my heart raced a thousand kilometers a minute. It was then, that I realized what Peter had been doing this whole time. He had set this all up: making us both overseers, sending Tink away, taking me here instead of looking for the Lost Boys. He was trying to woo me! This was like being taken out on a date. My face glowed at the mere mention of that.

Peter, in all seriousness, looked into my eyes, his emerald orbs fearless and excited. "Will…" he breathed my name and I could feel his warm breath hit my open mouth. "Can I give you a thimble?"

Wow, what a turn off.

I stared at him dumbly. I thought he was going to ask me to stay here forever, or something equally romantic, but that just came out of nowhere. "Umm…sure."

Peter, whose expression had dropped at the sight of my confusion, lit up, his sparkling white teeth mesmerizing me. He closed the gap between us, so that our lips touched, and we shared breaths. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen from all the breathing problems I had been having lately, but my mind exploded. No, not literally, but it certainly wasn't functioning anymore. So much so, that I didn't notice the hand break the surface of the water and grab my ankles.

Tragically, our lips parted and I could only utter a startled cry as I was pulled into the depths of the water. I watched, as time sluggishly slowed, Peter's face transform from euphoria, to confusion, to distress. He opened his mouth, probably to cry out to me, but the sound never reached my ears, as I was pulled down under the water.

But strangely, I could breathe, not to mention, there was no darkness around me, nor was I wet. All the properties of being in water seemed to be MIA, as was my sense of direction, for the setting sun was below me, and a squadron of feet and legs above me.

"We got 'im!" said a set of particularly hairy legs. "Let's bring 'im back to da Cap'n!"

My disorientation was cured for me as I was slung over a pair of shoulders that belonged to the hairy legs. Finally, things were as they should be: the setting sun was ahead of me, drowning in the ocean, and the ground was below me, where the legs of pirates were marching across. Pirates!

It finally registered in my head that I was one) surrounded by pirates, more likely than not, Captain Hook's, two) slung over one of said pirate's shoulders, three) no longer on Neverpeak Mountain with Peter, and four) being kidnapped…again.

"Hey, let me down, you wankers!" I shouted, pounded on the pirate's broad, unclothed back, and kicking like a whiny little kid.

The pirate holding me only grunted and jostled me in such a fashion that my brain rattled in my head, causing my motions to halt or else I'd throw up. By the time my dizziness wore off, I found myself on a familiar ship.

Well, the dread of being kidnapped seemed to be slightly elated by the fact I could talk with Captain Hook. A weird guy, but it was nice to be able to converse with someone mature for once. Besides, we already knew more about each other, than I knew about Peter or he knew about me. Maybe we could have civilized discussion about these abrupt summons and see if he could just send a letter next time.

I was roughly pushed into what looked to be the room I was in before, I guessed to be the captain's personal quarters, except this time, there was no one in it. I heard the click of metal that alerted me to the only door being locked. With a sigh, I walked over to a chair and sat down, to wait whatever fate these annoying pirates might have for me.

My mind slowly drifted to what I had been doing before my kidnapping. I couldn't help but blush brightly at the memory. God, I was acting like such a giddy schoolgirl! Giggling and blushing over a small kiss that didn't even last that long, even if the one who kissed me was breath-takingly gorgeous, and had such mesmerizing eyes, and that goofy grin, and…dammit. I'm being a girl again. But…My fingertips grazed over my lips ever-so lightly, the warmth from Peter's lips still lingering. I wonder how long it'll take for him to come rescue me this time.

My thoughts were interrupted by a knocking noise. I looked over to the door, but it did not open. Knock, knock, knock. The sound wasn't coming from the door; it was coming from the porthole. I walked over to it to find a bony face looking at me and motioning for me to do something. I unlatched the window and swung it open, trying to figure out what he was saying. He was a rather bony man, not much muscle on him, but not a lot of fat, either. His clothes were simple and lose, and his hair was neatly combed on either side of his head. He looked to be middle-aged and had sad, grey eyes that reminded me of a bloodhound.

"Yes?" I asked him as if I had been opening the door to my home.

"You need to get out of here," he said in a grave voice.

"Yes, I can tell, but it's not exactly like I can climb through this porthole, and the door's locked."

"No, I mean that you need to get out of Neverland."

I blinked stupidly. "Why would I want to do that?" I wondered aloud. I liked it here. Peter was here, and more importantly, my parents weren't.

"You don't belong here," the stranger's voice never lost any of its eeriness. "If you stay here any longer, you'll become Lost, too."

"Chap, you just don't make any sense," I told him truthfully.

"Listen, Neverland isn't real," his voice lowered to a whisper and he glanced around him. "All the people here don't exist, well, it's more to say, that we aren't alive anymore. You must understand, this entire place is all an illusion of that Peter Pan boy's creation! When he became a ghost, he lured all of us Lost souls into his fantasy! On the occasion, he'll spirit away someone from the living realm, but if you stay here for too long, the same will happen to you as what happened to the Captain."

I looked at the man cynically, but my heart was pounding with fear. Leave Neverland and Peter? I could never! But…what if all of what this man said was true? Things would make a whole lot more sense. "What do you mean?"

"Captain Hook was captivated by the boy too, and he followed him all the way here, bringing us all along with him!" the man spat bitterly. "He didn't even realize when we left the living realm, and by that time, it was already too late. We can't go back! But you can! You must leave Neverland now, before it's too late! If you stay here any longer, you'll die and become one of us! Don't be fooled by the ghost's charm!"

I shook my head. "No!" My voice unwillingly hitched in my throat. "I want to stay here! I want to stay here forever! I want to stay here with Peter!"

"Stupid boy! Don't give up your life—!" but his eyes suddenly grew wide, and he ran away.

I stared at the vacant spot he had once occupied in confusion, before I heard a creaking of an open door, and a deep, silky voice say, "Good evening, William."


	6. The Naughty Thing

**A/N: **The chapter's a little short, but it it felt like a good place to end it. Who doesn't love ending chapters with people passing out and/or getting kidnapped? This next chapter might be the last. (If I don't do an epilogue or something like that.)

**VI. The Naughty Thing**

Captain Hook hadn't changed in my few days' absence from him. He wore the same mahogany suit, but I wore the same clothes as I did before, as well. It was all I had after all. His hair was still wavy and black, like the darkest night, and his eyes were dull with the warm glow of the setting sun and the candle on the cluttered desk. A calm, superior smirk was plastered permanently on his face as he watched me observe him.

"We really need to fix how you invite me over," I said jokingly, although it really was annoying. And at such a good moment too…

"I apologize," Captain Hook chuckled, stepping towards me, but I did not move. "I fear no other way can separate you from Peter without him maiming my subordinates. I always strictly order them not to mishandle you in anyway."

I frowned. "Mishandle" was a word you used for objects, not people. "So, what's the reason you want me now? Another bait attempt for Peter?"

"No, this time I would quite like it if he didn't come after you." Hook was only a few feet away from me. "I was hoping to engage your company."

"Couldn't have just invited me for tea tomorrow instead of sending your goonies after me?"

"Your witty tongue amuses me as always," the pirate captain chuckled, before a predatory glint lit up his eyes, and he closed the small distance between us. "But let's put it to better forms of entertainment."

"Wha —?" But the older man leaned down and sealed my mouth with his. Like an electric bolt had just been sent through my body, I leapt back, my eyes as wide as saucers. "What the bloody hell was that for?!" I wiped my mouth ardently.

"It's a sign of affection and typically the opening ceremony before engaging in intercourse," Hook drawled seductively, moving to close the gap again, but I learned my lesson, I ran to the other side of the small quarters.

"Intercourse! What?" I bellowed in fear, adrenaline pumping through my veins. "I vehemently refuse! I did not come here to get shagged by you! In fact, I didn't even come here! I want to leave now. We can chat some other day. Is that door still locked?" I was rambling, my tell-tale sign of fear.

Hook's smirk widened into a full blown smile. "Oh, I have no plans of releasing you this time, William. I'm making good on my promise, and you're now my personal pet. I'm having a collar made just for you. It should be ready by tomorrow morning."

"Hell no!" I shouted dodging him again, but this time I tripped over some strange instrument and landed on the messy bed. Not the best of places to fall. "Peter will come for me! He knows I'm missing this time, and he knows who took me!" My threat didn't come out as intimidating as I wanted as my voice hitched and quivered with fear.

"Oh, I have that taken care of," Hook chuckled menacingly as he leaned on the bed, inching closer to where I huddled against the wall. "We captured his little fairy friend a while ago, and we'll use it to distract Peter." The thought of Peter leaving me to go rescue Tink caused a mysterious pain in my chest that hurt so much it left me immobilized for just a second, and that was all the time Hook needed to grab my wrists and pin them above my head.

"No!" I shrieked, writhing ferociously, but then the captain sat on my waist, straddling me, so that all my kicking and bucking went unnoticed. That didn't mean that I wasn't going to thrash about as violently as possible. I am an Englishman, dammit, and I'll be damned before I go down without a fight! "Let go of me! Get off!"

But my pleas fell on deaf ears, for Hook did no such thing. He even leant down to try and kiss me again, but I head butted him. The pain was well worth having him back off for a bit, and I even managed to wriggle one of my hands free and clawed at him in a desperate attempt to push him off of me. Quickly regaining his composure, Hook rebuked my rebellions by smacking me in the face. Unfortunately for me, his only hand was holding my hand above my head, so I got a hook to the face. It stung considerably, and I could almost hear my flesh tear. My eyes watered, but I refused to cry. My face felt wet and the silver appendage was dyed in crimson.

"Now look what you made me do," Captain Hook growled, although he looked just as shaken as I did. "You made me ruin that beautiful face of yours."

We stared at each other for a few seconds, but they seemed like the longest seconds of my life. We both knew he had just crossed a line; the only difference was that he didn't seem as disappointed in this fact as I was. "Stop struggling and this will be a lot less painful."

"Hell no!" I shouted starting my fighting up anew, wriggling and kicking.

"I knew I should have tied you up first," the older man spat bitterly, and somehow managed to grab both my hands and hold them firmly above my head. I wasn't likely to escape again. With his now free hook, he tore open my shirt, some of the blood left on it staining my now bare chest.

"Stop it!" I pleaded, a small tear escaping my closed eyes. "Please, stop it! Let me go!"

But Hook didn't answer me, and I gasped when I felt something warm and wet touch my chest. "Get off of me!"

I found myself surprised that he actually did. My hands were free, and the weight was lifted off of my hips. I opened my eyes to a welcoming sight: emeralds gazing at me with a mix of anger, worry, and something else. "Peter!" I exclaimed, the utmost relief in that one word. I was so ecstatic to see him, that I threw my arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Will!" It was all he needed to say, for anything else would have been an obvious observation.

Our sweet reunion was interrupted by the sounds of shuffling and grunting. Captain Hook, who had been furiously thrown off the bed and into the opposite wall, was now getting up and looked very much not pleased.

How dare you," Peter growled, standing in front of me in a protective stance. "You won't stop with doing the Naughty Thing, will you? I should have cut something else off instead of your hand!"

The pure hatred in Peter's once gentle breeze of a voice made it sound like a maelstrom now. To say he was pissed would be an understatement.

"Peter Pan," Hook spat these words with a sneer, nothing but contempt in his dark eyes. "You continue to be a thorn in my side."

"Same could be said of you, you old codfish!" If I wasn't so shaken up by nearly being raped, I just might have laughed at how lame the insult was. Peter just could not talk trash.

"Let's say we settle this once and for all!" Hook took out his rapier and pointed it at Peter. "Winner gets the boy."

"I plan to," Peter challenged, taking out his own short sword. Peter waited for about two seconds before he lunged ferociously at Hook, a brutal war cry escaping his lips.

Hook blocked the aggressive attack and parried, but Peter was nimble. He leapt out of the way and charged back in. When Hook dove for Peter, I had to move out of the way to avoid the two crashing into the wall. Peter made for the door and kicked it open, leading Hook outside and onto deck. While I debated if the reason for this move was so he could have more room or take the fight farther from me, the two continued fighting, their swords a blur, and the sound of clashing metal causing all the pirates to watch, but no one dared intervene.

No one seemed to notice me as I looked around. The Lost Boys weren't here, probably because Peter had come straight here. I vaguely wondered if they were all still hiding. A jingle of bells caused me to turn towards the starboard side of the ship. I didn't see anything except for a shaking lantern. Wait a sec…

"Tink!" I whispered in surprise, hoping the pirates wouldn't notice me.

I tip-toed towards her and put a finger to my lips, and the fairy nodded, and the bells stopped. Glancing over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching, I unhooked the latch on the lantern and opened it gently, flinching at the rusty creak it made. Tink burst out flying circles around my head, before taking off towards Peter.

'Thanks for hanging around,' I thought bitterly, but still smiled. At least Tink was acting as usual. A murmuring sound caught my attention and I noticed that the pirates' attention was no longer on the duel, which had somehow made its way up the mast, and was now tottering precariously on one of the many beams. "Uh-oh.'

I took a step backwards, only to bump into the side railing. Looking over my shoulder, I could see the waves of the ocean lap up against the side of the ship. "Well, bollocks," I cursed, looking back warily, at the enclosing pirates. Suddenly, an idea hit me, a mischievous smirk spreading across my face. I climbed up the railing and stood on the creaking piece of wood, wobbling a bit but catching my balance. "Well, it's been a good run," I smiled at their confused faces. "So long, chaps!"

I fell backward, off the ship, and towards the unforgiving waters. However, not a single hair on my head got wet, for I quickly pulled up, flipped around, and soared around the ship. I flew up and up, my heart pounding in my chest and my goofy smile never falling from my face. Oh, how I loved to fly! I let out a loud "Woo-hoo!"

I ascended so high until the ship became as big as my hand, and then fell downward, in a spiraling dive. Pulling myself up in the nick of time, I grazed over the water, letting my hand touch its surface, delighting in the splash I caused.

Deciding that I had had enough fun, and not knowing how much a simple splash of fairy dust could keep me going, I flew up above the ship and searched for the dueling pair. They were still on the beam, but they were at the very tip, with Peter teetering dangerously on the edge, and Hook balancing himself quite skillfully in his buckled shoes. Tink was swarming around the pirate captain's head, trying to b annoying, but he ignored her.

Like a hornet, I shot straight for Captain Hook and kicked him in the side, sending him flying off the side of the ship. As I landed on the wooden beam, next to a gaping Peter, I felt extremely cool, like a kung-fu fighter from one of those old Chinese flicks.

With a giant splash, Captain Hook fell into the water. Soon after, rigid, green, scaly backs surfaced in the water, surrounding Hook's floating form. I smiled. Crocodiles. Hook noticed them too and let out an uncharacteristically girly scream. He probably could have beat Michael Phelps for the gold medal with how fast he was swimming.

I looked at Peter who was still gaping at me. His face looked so cute that I laughed. "What? Don't I get a say in my fate?"

Peter laughed along with me, and we were having a smashing time until I nearly fell of the beam, reminding us where we were and the murderous pirates below us. "We should probably head home," said Peter, taking hold of my hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure the Boys beat us by now," I joked, loving the way my hand fit perfectly in his.

And so we leapt off into the air, feeling victorious and very much in love with each other.

* * *

The first thing I noticed when I woke up the next morning was that I felt incredibly dizzy and weak, but not sleepy, which is a strange sensation. Second thing I noticed was the warm and wet cloth held up against my cheek. Third thing I noticed was that I was only 5 inches away from Peter's face.

I jumped back as fast and far as someone as weak as I felt could, the cloth that was on my face fell off and into my lap. I looked at it. The once baby blue cloth was now a deep crimson, and I could feel blood still trickling very slowly down my face. I frowned. It should have stopped bleeding. It wasn't that deep of a laceration.

"Good morning," the voice that sounded like wind rustling through the trees reminded me of Peter's presence next to me on the makeshift bed. "Ah…it's still bleeding."

"Yeah," I simply said, remembering that I had fallen asleep last night snuggling with Peter, slightly high from the fact that we were unofficially together. I blushed now at the thought. I had acted like such a girl. If Peter had wanted to, I probably would've done anything he asked me to, even have sex. Luckily for me, he didn't seem to keen on the fact, especially not after what Hook had just done. "I think I should go wash it. I'll be right back."

"Alright," Peter smiled dreamily at me. He was probably still asleep. "I'll have breakfast ready for you when you get back."

I rushed out of the hollowed out tree, my face glowing. God! Just one kiss, and already we were acting like a bloody married couple. Even sleeping in the same bed together! I was getting too used to living here.

I stopped in my tracks, the words of the stranger's warning running through my head. How long had I been here? A few days? Maybe more? What was going on in the real world? Was my body just lying there in the park, forgotten by everyone? Or better yet, were my parents even looking for me? I had run away from home a few times before, stayed the night at a friend's house or something, but I'd never been gone long enough to miss school.

These worries plagued me as I made my way to a small, clear pond. I knelt down, and stared at my rippling reflection with a frown. A small stream of blood was trailing down my cheek. Although the cut wasn't bleeding as much as before, it hadn't even scabbed. Something wasn't right. "Maybe it just needs some air."

I stared at the water without really seeing it my mind was elsewhere. My mind could be summed up in one word: confused. I liked it here in Neverland. I liked being here with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys. I felt like I had known them forever. On the other hand, I was starting to miss my parents (I never thought I'd ever admit such a thing), and if what that pirate had said was correct, I might not be able to return home soon. And I still felt uneasy about my scar not healing, and it was _still bleeding._ 'Either way, I should probably head back home, just to see what my circumstances are. I wish Peter had a mobile phone, though, I don't know if Neverland has a good signal…'

"Maybe once I eat something I'll be able to think straight," I sighed, rinsing my face one last time and wiping it dry with my shirt.

When I arrived back the Headquarters, the Lost Boys were all sitting around the dead campfire, eating fruit and what smelled like roasted turkey. With an arched eyebrow, I scrutinized the food. Everyone had a single, roasted turkey leg and a bowl of fruit. I was only gone for at the most ten minutes. They wouldn't have had time to hunt a turkey, if there were any on this island, and cook it. Where did eight boys get all this food in the wilderness? Well, maybe I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Oh, Will, what took you so long?" Peter beamed at me from his spot on the fallen over dead log. "I thought those dastardly pirates had kidnapped you again!"

"Ha, ha," I dead-toned, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Excuse me if they like to jump me at inadequate times." Peter's cheeks were tinted a light cheek as his mind was led to just what 'inadequate time' I had been speaking of, and I smirked victoriously when he couldn't look me in the eyes. Who's the dominate one now?

I sat down in between Peter and Nibs, the bunny boy handing me a turkey leg and bowl of grapes. I took them gratefully, and ravished the meat, not even caring that I was making obscene noises and getting my face dirty. I was famished, dammit, and it's not like any of the boys there, were any cleaner, with the exception of Peter who had this "young master" air about him and ate his food as properly as one could without utensils. It made me feel slightly ashamed, but when my stomach rumbled I was reminded of why I didn't care.

Since everyone inhaled their food, breakfast was over soon. I felt ten times better, but still weak, so when Peter asked what game we should play today, I was reluctant. I raised my hand sheepishly, a habit from school.

"You have a game, Will?"

"Umm…actually, I was wondering if I could go home for a sec."

"What are you talking about, Will?" Nibs asked obnoxiously loudly. "We are home!"

"No, I meant back where I came from," I explained nervously, fearing their reaction.

They all just stared at me, faces blank. "Why would you want to go back there?" Peter asked, a hint of edginess to his voice.

"Well, for a lot of reasons," I ventured. I feared that he might not like some of them. "For starters, I want to see what's happened in my absence, whether my parents have noticed I'm gone or not, and see what the time difference might be —"

"So you want to leave us?" Peter snarled. "Do you hate us now? Or are you just going to go back to Hook?"

"Now, why the bloody hell would I —?"

"Why do you want to leave us?" Tootles cried.

"Don't you love us, Mommy?"

"Now, listen here, I'm not —"

"Why would you want to go back to that dumb place anyway?"

"Don't you like Neverland, Will?"

"Don't you like Neverland, Will?"

"You don't plan on coming back, do you?"

"You're going to leave us like all the others."

I was bombarded with crying and angry boys, the most angry of them being Peter. "Is there someone back there that you're going for? Huh? You courting some girl, or —?"

"Oh please!" I rolled my eyes. Now he was just being stupid.

"You're not leaving," Peter said finally.

"What? You can't keep me here!" I bellowed.

"Tink, don't go anywhere near Will, just in case some of your dust accidentally sprinkles on him."

"Stop being so immature!" I yelled, my temper getting the better of me. "I'm not leaving forever! I'm coming back! I just want to see my parents!"

"That's a lie!" Peter yelled back, his cheeks red with anger. "You're going to leave us like all the other mothers we've tried to get! You're abandoning us! You hate us!"

"Argh!" I let out a frustrated growl, pulling the ends of my hair. He was just being so bloody stubborn! "Why don't you just grow up!"

"I can't!" With that last shout, Peter ran inside the Home Underground, and slammed the door shut.

I stared at the wooden door, pondering that last line. Well, since he's a ghost, I suppose it would make since that he couldn't grow. 'A ghost? Well, I guess that's what you are when you are no longer living, but still here. It just sounds weird to call him a ghost when I can touch him.' I looked back over at the Lost Boys who all tackled me, latching onto my legs and waist, eyes watery and lower lips protruding.

"Don't leave us, Will!"

"Don't leave!"

"Yeah, don't go!"

"We'll be good boys!"

"We'll be good boys!"

"I promise I won't pelt you with rocks when you're not looking anymore!"

"So that was you!"

Slightly smiled innocently.

Tootles wiped his nose on my pants. "Don't leave, Mommy!"

"I'm not Mommy, and I'm coming back, Tootles," I promised. "I just feel like I need to see home. I'd never leave you guys! I love you all too much!"

"Really?"

"I meant every word."

"But you can't leave anyway," Curly pointed out. "Peter told Tink not to give you any dust!"

"I can just go ask any of the fairies at Pixie Hollow," I countered, holding up a finger. "Though, I might need a translator. I can't speak fairy."

"Oh, neither can we," Slightly said. "We just pretend that we can. You can usually get it right."

I stared at them, dead-panned, but then shook it off. "Well, you all are better at pretending than I am. So, who wants to be my interpreter?"

Everyone raised their hands, crying "Ooh! Ooh! Me! Me! Me!" I looked between them all, trying to decide which one. "Umm…Curly, how about you?"

"Hurray!" Curly cheered, but it was drowned out by a loud chorus of "AAAWWW!"

"No fair! We want to go too!" The twins whined.

"Ok, fine you can tag along."

"What? They get to go too? Then I want to go!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

I looked at them all and sighed. "Fine, whatever, you all can come!"

With a round of cheers, we went off towards the valley. The walk took longer with all the children, and my newfound weakness, but we managed to make it there a little after noon. I was glad to be in the shade of the trees and splashed some of the clear pond water on my face, sighing happily as it refreshed me.

We walked down the narrow pathway, Slightly in the front, followed by the Twins, Nibs, Curly, Tootles, and, last but not least, me. We arrived at the Mother Tree, where the Queen awaited us with a real smile. Slightly, being in front, narrated for the rest of us.

"Good day, you're Majesty," He bowed, his fox ears slumping over his head. "We have a request of you. Our friend here, way in the back, Will, wants to go back home, just for a bit, but Peter refuses to let him, so we can't use Tink, and — What?"

The sound of rain filled my ears.

"You're pulling my leg! That fast! Darn, I never thought he would have sent Tink ahead of him."

He turned back to our quizzical faces to explain. "It seems that Peter sent Tink here to tell the other fairies not to help you either."

"What!" I screamed, frustrated, and I was starting to get a headache from the exhaustion. "That jerk! Well, Tink can't tell the Queen what to do, can she?"

"No, but Peter can," Slightly answered. "Everyone here, except for the pirates, and sometimes the mermaids, does what Peter says. He's the King of Neverland!"

I rolled my eyes. "Can't she go against Peter just this once? Look, I promise I'll be back, but I'm starting to feel sick, and I don't feel like dealing with this right now." I touched my scar absentmindedly. My cheek was caked with blood, but at least it wasn't bleeding anymore.

Raindrops.

"That's a no, sir," Slightly said. "She said that she owes Peter for rescuing her from Captain Hook when they kidnapped her and a couple other fairies, too, so that they could make their ship fly."

"Which they usthed to capture Wendy," Nibs continued.

"Which turned out to be Jane," one of the raccoon Twins said, followed up by his brother's "Wendy's daughter."

"Who's Wendy?" I asked, feeling that mysterious pang in my chest again, or that could just be my headache.

"She was our mother before Jane," Curly explained. "Which was our mother before you!"

"Oh, I see," I glared at them, feeling hurt. "So I'm just a replacement."

"That's not true!" They all protested. "You're our first daddy!"

I snorted. That wasn't really an excuse, but alright. My eyelids were feeling heavy, along with the rest of my body, and I didn't feel up to debating with them. I turned around, but with my sluggish body, I tripped over my own feet and crashed, luckily for me, into the pounded dirt of the narrow pathway and blacked out.


	7. The Wise Woman

**A/N: **Sorry for the late chapter. I've been very busy with marching band and homework and writer's block. XP So, I bring to you this special chapter. Enjoy!

**VII. The Wise Woman**

"Oh dear, this is very bad. Very bad, indeed."

The voice of those words tugged at my memory, but my mind was so fuzzy at the moment I couldn't think straight. I mentally snorted. Of course I couldn't think straight, I had just kissed a boy the other day.

Oh, that brought back memories. Peter Pan, boy wonder. _Ghost_, a voice told me. Oh, that's right, I remember now, the pirate man has said that Neverland was just an illusion created by the ghost of Peter, and had trapped all these other souls along with him.

"I'm sorry, Peter, but he will have to leave Neverland. He can't stay here."

Hm? The voice is female. Who could it be? And what did she mean when I had to leave Neverland?

"What? Why?"

"Time doesn't flow normally here. We just repeat the same day over and over again. His wound won't heal here. He's lost so much blood already. That's why he passed out, you see. I'm sorry Peter, but he needs to go back home and heal."

"He is home! His home is here, in Neverland, with me!"

Like cotton had been pulled out of my ears, everything suddenly became clear. I had fully woken up now, and I slit an eye open. I saw a roof of canvas above my head, and a ring of faces surrounding me. Two particularly caught my notice, Peter, to my right, his emerald eyes ablaze with worry and rebelliousness, and a girl, who looked nearly our age, possibly younger, with bronze skin and charcoal hair. It wasn't Tiger Lily, but I could guess she was a leading figure with the Indians.

"Hey, look! He'sth waking up!" Nibs cried, pointing a knobby finger at me.

All eyes turned on me, and I closed my eyes, trying to feign sleep, but my cheeks were red with chagrin.

"Open your eyes, Will," Peter said, sounding like a parent chiding a child. "We all know you're awake."

Surrendering, I opened my eyes and smiled sheepishly. "So I guess I really need to leave now, huh?"

Peter frowned at this, his eyebrows knitting. "I guess I really have no choice, but I'm coming with you."

"What?" My eyes were really open now. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?" Peter narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Well, I wasn't about to scream, "Because you're a ghost!" so I decided to stick with, "My world is different. I don't know what I'll do with you. My parents might be a bit adverse to me suddenly coming home late in the night — if that's even what time it is when I get back. Who knows how many days have passed there? — and I can't just leave you out on the streets."

"It doesn't matter, I'm coming with you and that's final." The look in Peter's eyes left no room for argument.

"No fair!" Curly cried. "How come Peter gets to go and we can't?"

"Yeah!" The Twins chimed in, followed by a chorus of agreement from the other boys.

"Guys, I don't know what I'm going to do with Peter, let alone six little boys," I sighed.

"We'll just go wherever Peter is going!" Tootles beamed at me as if the solution was obvious.

I looked over at Peter, pleading for some help, but I new I would receive none when I saw that mischievous glint in his eyes that always meant he was scheming something. All hope was lost.

"Boys, you've never been to Will's world, and I think now is the chance!" He declared, that cocky smirk that I loved on his face.

Cheers erupted throughout the tent, and, through my peripheral vision, I could see the Indian girl shaking her head in sympathy for me. Well, at least someone understood.

* * *

The morning sky was beautiful with its pastel blues and yellows. I could see the faint outline of the moon in the distance, but it was hard to see through the clouds I was flying around. The night shade had not fully left the world, its dark shadows still clinging to the sky, but I could feel the first rays of the sun peeking over the horizon. It was early morning, luckily for me, early enough to drop unnoticed with seven oddly dressed boys in Kensington Gardens.

My heart felt heavy when we touched ground, and I couldn't help but sigh at the thought of not being able to fly for an undecided amount of time.

"So where are we going, Will?" the Lost Boys gazed around at the park with childlike wonder.

"To my house," I decided. "Maybe my Mom is still asleep. We can see if we can find you guys something more…appropriate to wear, and then I'll decide where to dump you guys." My stomach felt queasy about this plan, but it was the only thing I could think of.

"To Will's house then!" Peter pointed ahead of us. "Forward, troops!"

The Lost Boys saluted Peter before marching histrionically ahead. I had to run after them and point them in the right direction.

The walk to my house was a short, and fortunately, inconspicuous one. The quiet streets of my little suburb were empty. I wondered at this. Usually people were already up and driving to work or school. Could it possibly be the weekend?

My house, a quaint little cream colored, paneled house with burgundy colored trimming, was the third from the block on the left, sitting discreetly between the cauliflower colored house and the red brick, white paneled house. The windows were dark, and nothing stirred, amplifying the sound of our footsteps even more.

I turned back to my pack, and put a finger to my lips. The Boys mimicked my gesture, nodding in compliance. As quietly as I could I walked around the side of the house and opened our backyard gate, cringing at his metallic squeak. I tip-toed inside and motioned for the Lost Boys to follow in after me. It was at times like these — not that I take hordes of boys to my backyard, often — that I was glad that we didn't have a dog. Only a lazy tabby cat that sits on top of the leather couch all day and only moves when it's hungry.

When all the boys were in my backyard, I shut the gate and locked it back. I traveled around the house and to the other side, where my window, which I frequently left unlocked, was. I pushed it open with ease, and climbed inside, pushing back the blinds. Once I had gotten us all inside, moved towards my drawer, hoping that maybe I had something small enough to fit the smaller boys. In the dark morning, it was hard to see, and I often tripped over something in my messy room. Finally, I made it to my dresser and pulled open the drawer, but it was hard to tell what the shirts looked like in the dark. My problems were dismissed when the light turned on, and the strain on my eyes was eased.

"Oh, thank you —" I turned to see who had done it and froze when I saw the furious face of my mother, her red mane tied back in a loose ponytail.

"Where _were_ you last night?" She hissed in a low menacing tone. I glanced warily at Peter and the Lost Boys, who looked back at me with wide eyes. My mom must have been so enraged, she hadn't noticed them yet.

"Umm…the Gardens…" I muttered lamely. In all this preparation for Peter, I had completely forgotten to make up an excuse for my absence. Luckily, it seemed I had only been missing for the night, and not weeks.

"And what were you doing there _all night_?" She rasped.

I swallowed my fear and even managed to muster up enough courage to be sarcastic. "I was out partying, doing drugs, robbing liquor stores and knocking up girls with no future."

"William Ste —" I saved myself the lecture and held up my hands.

"It's nothing serious, Mum," I waved off her worries. "I just went to the Gardens to get some fresh air and accidentally fell asleep there." It was what really would have happened if Peter hadn't shown up, not that I'm complaining.

My mother scrutinized me for a moment before she finally decided to believe me. "You're lucky the patrol didn't find you and give you a ticket! You know there's a 10 o'clock curfew."

"I know, I know, thus the 'accident' part, Mum," I sighed.

She sighed, and then I saw her hazel eyes flick over to the throng of boys huddling in the corner, confused and afraid. She gasped as she just now noticed them. She looked at me, her mouth open in a question, but I decided to answer her first.

"Their my friends from…school," I lied. I was lucky that I went to an all-grades boarding school, so it wouldn't seem odd that I had a bunch of little children with me. "It's Peter and his little brothers. They are the ones who found me and woke me up. I promised that I would treat them to breakfast."

"Why are they —?"

"They're all in Theatre Arts class."

"Umm…ok," She glanced between me and the Lost Boys, who now beamed back at her. "But, Will, you can't just drop in and invite all these boys over without even asking either your father or me first. You can't expect me to just whip up a huge breakfast on such short notice. These boys need to go home. There parents are probably worried about them, and —!"

I had expected this outcome, and thus, decided to unveil my secret weapon. I grabbed Tootles and presented him to Mom. She just looked flabbergasted down at him, and Tootles stared wide-eyed back at her. Whatever she had been saying before slowly drifted into silence, which was quickly broken by the sound of Tootles' grumbling belly. He put a finger in his mouth cutely and looked down in embarrassment. I saw my mom blush, and knew I had her hooked. There was no way her intense mother hen spirit could resist Tootles' cuteness.

"Don't be rude, Will, bring them to the kitchen," She pulled Tootles forward and motioned him out the door. "Poor dears are famished. I'll cook them up a good pot of apple porridge. Come along now, dears."

I smiled triumphantly and nodded towards Peter. He smiled back at me, and followed my Mom and me out into the hall. As soon as we were all seated at the table (we had to use the office chair, and the Twins had to share a seat in order for all of us to fit), my Mom went to go make the food. Now that we were alone, the boys all erupted into excited noises.

"Ok, ok, calm down everyone," I hushed them. "We're not out of the woods yet."

"I didn't see any trees around your house," Slightly said.

"That was a figure of speech, Slightly," I rolled my eyes at him. "What I mean is that though we're good now, once breakfast is over, I won't have anywhere to put you guys. There's not enough room here for you guys to sleep."

"Looks pretty spacious to me," Curly pointed out, but I just glared at him.

"Will is right," said Peter, leaning across the table as if he were at a war counsel. "We're gonna be here for a while and we can't stay here."

We all sighed, trying to think of a plan. I gazed about the dining room, looking for some source of inspiration. I found it in the picture of my grandmother hanging on the spring green wall across from me. Of course! Why hadn't I thought of that before?

Before I could voice my solution, Mom walked in carrying trays of porridge with apple slices and cinnamon on top. The boys clapped in eager delight, and Curly looked like he was eating the food with his eyes. Needless to say, breakfast didn't last long.

Fourteen and a half bowls later, I told my mom that I was going outside to "play" and bolted out the door before she could ground me or say otherwise. The Lost Boys following behind loyally, I walked down the street and turned the corner. The house on the block was inhabited by my grandmother. My widowed, empty nester of a grandmother, who still wished she had kids and who still had all my old stuff in her large, empty house.

Her two-story house was white-washed and boxy, with a jungle of a front yard, and an Amazon of a backyard. My grandmother lived off of her dead husband's life insurance and chose gardening as her past time, when her three children and her five grandchildren couldn't stand her. My two uncles and four cousins lived in an adjacent neighborhood, and so they didn't visit my grandmother as much as my family did. My mom was always attached to her mother, and thus had a hard time flying the coop, so she set up nest right down the street.

Walking down the cobblestone path to her veranda, I grabbed the brass knocker on her door and pounded it against her clean, white door. We waited for about a minute before the door swung open, and a woman with bright pink, frizzy hair and round spectales opened the door.

My grandmother was something of a spectacle. She had always been spunky. And she could be dangerous when subjected to boredom, thus, she had a different look about her every time I saw her. She used her husband's life insurance opulently. Her dress was a shiny silver, like something you would have seen in the future space age. Her cane (she didn't need one, but liked to carry one around anyway) was made of glass and had an LED light installed on the top of it so that it changed colors every now and then. If it weren't for these minor details, she would have resembled anyone else's grandmother: old, wrinkly, with a great love for giving gifts and spoiling children, even if she was a bit of an eccentric. My mother used to always say that she was a child trapped in an old woman's body.

"Good morning, Will," she broke out into a crinkled smile. "It's lovely to see you again. And I see you brought some acquaintances. Come on in, chaps, come on in. I'll set out a pot of tea!"

We were shuffled in to her cluttered house and sat down on the couch. Her brother-in-law had made it for her as a wedding gift back in the olden days. My grandmother ran to the kitchen to start boiling some water.

"Why are we here, Will?" Slightly asked.

"This is where you'll be staying for as long as you're here. Granny loves children and is all alone, so she'll be able to take care of you guys."

"She's a weird-looking lady," the twins chimed, and I chose to ignore that comment. It was true, after all.

"Well, she still has a lot of life in her. She says that she was a spy back in World War II and she knows six different languages: German, English, obviously, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and French."

"Cool!" the boys exclaimed, and just then, my grandmother came in.

"Here you go, love," she opened a large band-aid and stuck it over my scar which I had completely forgotten about until now. "That's a nasty wound. Is it a battle scar?"

"Yup," I decided to humor her, smiling despite the bad memories that floated into my mind. "I got it fighting a pirate."

"Oh, pirates!" She mock frowned. "Nasty blokes."

Peter beamed at this comment. That comment had just won him over. Anyone who hated pirates was a friend of his. And thanks to the event that caused this scar, I was now converted to that style of thinking.

"Why don't you introduce your friends here to me, Will?" My grandmother sat in a grand chair, her cane resting across her lap.

"Umm…well," I looked at them. There names were unusual, maybe I should change them?

"I'm Peter Pan!" said boy stood up and declared. Well, I guess that solves that problem.

I watched my grandmother to gauge her reaction. Her whole body became stiff, and she was silent for a solid fifteen minutes before her voice came out shakily, "The…Peter Pan? From Neverland?"

Even Peter was just as surprised as I was. I had thought that I was the first discoverer of the boy wonder and his land of dreams. What would Granny say? How did she even know.

"My grandmother told me all about her days with you, but I never thought they were actually true," Granny sighed nostalgically.

Peter stared at my grandmother in silence for a few minutes before he decided she had finished her speech. "Yes, ma'am, I am Peter Pan from Neverland, but I don't believe I've ever met an elderly woman, especially if she were old enough to be your grandmother."

"Oh, she wasn't old then, you silly duckling." Granny laughed, tapping her crystal cane on the ground. "Grandmother Jane was only a little girl then, but she never forgot about you. I used to stay up all night listening to her stories. They never got old."

"Wait…_Jane _Jane?" Peter gaped. "Has it really been that long?"

Glancing between the two of them, I felt very lost and confused. Hadn't Peter mentioned a Jane before? Was this girl another helpless victim of his spiriting away?

Granny turned towards me. "So, Will, I presume there is a reason you have brought the whole crew here to me?"

Ah, right…back to business. "Yes, they need some where to stay for an indefinite amount of time. I was hoping that maybe you could take care of them?"

"Of course!" Granny jumped up, a mischievous smile on her crinkled face. She had just found her partners in crime. "You know how lonely I get here, in this big, old house! I'd be delighted to have them here, and looks like they'll need clothes, so we can go shopping, oh, and I'll enroll them into your school! They'll join you on Monday! And —"

"Woah, Woah, Granny," I stood up as well, motioning for her to calm down. "They're not staying here forever, just until my wound heals, and then we — they, I mean, are heading back."

Peter frowned at that last comment, but said nothing.

"Oh, nonsense, William," my grandmother, ruffled my hair and laughed at the pout forming on my face. "The boys will love school, I just know it."

I couldn't help but snort. I seriously doubted that. No sane child ever loved school. Especially not when there was Neverland.

"I've never been to school before," Tootles wondered aloud.

"You'll love it, I promise," Granny winked at him. "Now, let's go shopping!"

I rolled my eyes. Silly old grandmother.

* * *

I never realized how much money Granny truly had until now. We had to hire a porter to help us carry all the bags around the shopping district. It wasn't so much the quantity that scared me as was the quality. Sweaters shipped in straight from Paris, designer brand clothing, and nothing that cost under 30 pounds! It makes me wonder if it really is my grandfather's life insurance, or if she actually has her hand in some business.

After carrying all 41 bags inside the house, we all sat down and had dinner. As I sat down to eat my turkey sandwich and chips, a strange feeling came over me. Or more like the strange part was how comfortable I was, as if Peter and the Lost Boys had been my childhood friends since birth and we had never even heard of a place called Neverland. The dreamlike paradise seemed far away. Fairies didn't really exist anyway, right?

Shaking my head clear of these thoughts, I went to help Peter unpack everything in his room. Since there were only three available rooms the rooming arrangements were as such: Curly, Nibs and Slightly in one room, and Tootles and the Twins in the other, and Peter got his own room since he was the oldest. Tonight would be a very uncomfortable sleep for them, since we didn't have time to go buy all the bunk beds that would be necessary to house all these boys.

"Hey," I muttered after knocking on the door.

Peter smiled at me from inside a massive pile of clothing. "Hiya, Will! Come to help me?"

"Yes, and it seems you need it," I chuckled. I picket up a pair of designer jeans and folded them neatly.

"How did you do that?" His head popped up.

"Do what?"

"Fold the clothes."

I simply stared at him, torn between laughing at him, and fearing that he was actually serious. "I'll show you." I picked up a forest green, cotton sweater, pinching it at the shoulders. "You lay it against your chest like so," I lay the sweater on me and grabbed it by the sleeves, "then you fold the arms on top of one another, and then fold it in half." I folded the top down to the bottom and then set it on top of the dresser since the bed was covered in clothes.

"You really do make a great Mommy," Peter beamed up at me.

I frowned. "It's Daddy, remember?"

Peter laughed, but then it got very silent. He fiddled with a pair of slacks. I just watched, wondering what was making radiated the sudden nervous aura.

"Hey, Will," Peter began, not looking at me, but inspecting the stitches in his pants. "We haven't really gotten a chance to…well, talk about…the…um…what happened before the pirates…the…the thimble…" His cheeks glowed scarlet at the last word.

I cocked my head to the side. What was he talking about? What thimble? "You never gave me a thimble, Peter."

His face drooped, despair hinting in his voice. "Don't you remember? When I took you to the hiding spot, and…I gave you the thimble."

"Thimble? Oh! You mean the kiss!" My cheeks flushed slightly.

"What? No, I gave you a thimble. I lost the kiss a long time ago."

I stared at him, completely lost. How could you get those two mixed up? They had absolutely nothing to do with each other.

"Anyway," Peter decided to continue nervously. "Since you got kidnapped by the pirates, I never really got to see what your answer was."

"Answer to what?"

"May I court you?"

"You mean go out on a date or something? Sure." I blushed brightly. I had never had a boyfriend before. I had technically had a girlfriend, Julia, back in the 4th grade, but that didn't really count, since she went out with every boy in the school, and we didn't even hold hands or anything.

The smile on Peter's face was contagious. He strode over to me and knelt at my feet, kissing my hand. My head could have easily been mistaken at that point for a tomato my face was so red. Like a jolt of electricity, I shivered with excitement. We were now officially a couple, and I was going to ignore the fact that I had no clue what Peter's age was, though if he was a ghost, he could well be 100 years my elder.

The boy wonder raised himself to his full height, still holding my hands, and leant in for a continuation of the other day's event. Unfortunately, Granny chose that exact moment to barge in and announce that she had just gotten the boys enrolled at my school and could join me on Monday. As if the electric current that had been traveling down my spine and into the pit of my stomach had shocked Peter, he leapt away from me, tucking his hands behind him, his face as emotionless as stone.

After Granny's suggestion that I return home, seeing as how it was nearing 11 o'clock, with a shy wave to Peter, I headed down the street towards my house. Ignoring the lecture from my mom about how curfew still applied even at a relative's house, I trudged to my room and flopped down on my bed as if I hadn't touched it in months, which might be true. I glanced at my reflection in the window. I had a goofy grin plastered on my face.

Augh! Stop acting like a girl! I forced a frown on my face, trying to think manly thoughts, but when the stars outside drew my eye, I couldn't help but smile.

**END BOOK I**

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**A/N: **Originally I was going to make a whole separate sequel to this, but I 've decided that it hasn't really concluded enough to separate the two, so I've split the story up into Books. Currently, I only plan on having a Book 2, but I tend to elongate things. So, as an apology for taking so darn long, and because it'll keep you guys interested, I've included a summary for Book 2!!

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While Peter Pan and the Lost Boys are having a smashing good time in the real world (i.e. love triangles, crazy parties, night clubs, fights, and near-death experiences) there's been trouble in paradise. Without Peter Pan, Neverland has been wilting and morphing under the influence of its new ruler: Captain Hook. Peter will have to travel back to right what has gone so terribly wrong, but will the drama free lure of Neverland hook Peter, or will he choose to release his dreams to live with Will in this strange and dangerous world?

Find out, in the next few millenia!


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